How to be (Un)Popular
by FaerieTales4ever
Summary: Alternate ending to Popular. Elphie gave up her biggest secret, but who would've thought that bubbly, perfect Glinda could have something to hide too? And this secret, should she could to admit it, could change her life forever. #Gelphie friendship/romance IN PROGRESS
1. Confessions

**A/N; This is my first Wicked Fanfic, so I hope you all enjoy! For now it's a one-shot, but I could be persuaded to turn it into a mulrichap depending on if I can figure out some kinks in where I would want to go with upcoming chaps. :) NOTE: For continuity purposes, in my fic, Fiyero arrived 3 weeks before the Ozdust dance. That change will make sense by the end, promise!**

**Summary: Alternate ending to Popular. Elphie gave up her biggest secret, but who would've thought that bubbly, perfect Glinda could have something to hide too? And this secret, should she choose to admit it, could change her life forever. #Gelphie friendship/romance **

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical!**

**How to be (Un)Popular**

**1**

**Confessions**

Kicking off her coral kitten heels, Galinda heavied a heavy sigh as she fell backwards onto her bed. It had been a long night. Her feet were sore and the soft hug of her comforter seemed so inviting, she was surprised she hadn't fallen asleep already. She cuddled deeper under her fluffy, rose duvet and hummed in pleasure as she reminisced about the night's events. She still couldn't believe she'd done it. She'd gone and danced with the "weird green thing" and the world hadn't shunned her for it! In fact, they'd joined in! What was even more amazifying was that she'd had… fun. She hadn't minded the stares and the titers of laughter that peeled through the crowd at first.. well, after a while, that is. Once she gave herself over to the beat, it was just her and the ballroom. Not only that, but for the first time, though there was no way to be sure, Galinda could have sworn she'd seen her antisocial, moodified roommate actually smile. It filled her with a warm, fuzzy glow to know that she, Galinda Upland, had made that happen. As her eyes fluttered closed, blissful visions of the midnight spree begin waltzing her off to dreamland.

Over on the other side of the room, Elphaba placed her pointed hat on the nightstand and began unlacing her boots. Giddy on the copious glasses of spiked punch she had, this was proving to be trickier than usual, and the frustrated grunting brought the blonde back from the edge of her slumber.

"Elphaba, are you alright?" she yawned, sitting up and crinkling her eyebrows.

The witch let out a long sigh, she was not in the mood for any more of her roommate's cockeyed optimism; she'd had enough of that tonight to last a lifetime. "Yes, I'm fine. Just trying to get these Ozdamned boots off!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

Galinda giggled and hoisted herself up off the bed, carefully making her way over to the emerald girl's side of the room. "Need any help?"

Elphaba stopped the relentless tugging and eyed the perky blonde suspiciously, "You want to help me twice in one night? Wow, this must be some kind of record for you," she droned sarcastically, rolling her eyes and turning away before Galinda had a chance to respond.

A bit taken aback, but not shocked by the green girl's obvious disdain of her, Galinda simply stepped back with a sigh and shrugged, "Alright. I was just trying to be a good friend."

At that, Elphaba snorted, "Friend? Just this afternoon you gave me your grandmother's 'hideodious' hat as a gift." Her chocolate eyes bore into her nemesis's like hot coals. She was clearly furious, but there was something else there too, something the other girl had to look twice to be sure she'd even seen, as she would have never expected to witness such a vulnerable emotion in the eyes of someone so blunt and cynical as Elphaba Thropp. It was only a flicker, but Galinda could swear that, buried deep in the green girl's flashing eyes was something more; something that could be easily identified as a small glimmer of betrayal.

The blonde winced. Her gray-blue eyes widened slightly and she worried her bubblegum pink glossed lip in guilt. If she were honest with herself, she'd never even considered the fact that such a hermit, someone who avoided parties and people at all costs, might actually have...feelings. She hadn't intended to be outright cruel to her roommate, not really. It was all supposed to be just a funny joke among Galinda and her friends. She never believed Elphaba would wear the horrendable hat, let alone to the Ozdust!

An uncomfortable anxiousness churned her stomach as she asked, fighting hard to keep her voice steady and not to show the sudden bout of fear that had taken root in her, "H-how did you know about that?"

Elphaba pressed her lips together as she processed the simplicity of the whispered question. Was Galinda playing dumb, or did she really think the news of her little "secret prank" wouldn't get around? Pfanne and ShenShen were two of the biggest gossips at Shiz; it didn't take much for them to spill anything they found juicy enough. As soon as she'd stepped one emerald green toe through the doors of that ballroom, the hushed taunting and snickering had started, full force. She pretended not to care, but she didn't have to be a genius to realize they were talking about her. How, in her blind stupidity and desire to make her sister proud, she had actually accepted her roommate's 'present' and invite to the coltish dance. She cringed at the thought of how ridiculously gullible she'd been to think the suggestion was sincere. That condescending voice in her head had warned her against it many times, but like an idiot, she had chosen to ignore it simply because, deep down, she had desperately wanted to be accepted by her new peers.

Elphaba sneered at herself, thoroughly disgusted by her brief naivety. "How do you think? Your little minions just couldn't resist spreading the latest gossip about the 'mean, green, artichoke.' In fact, I'm surprised you didn't join in." she snarked back bitterly.

"Elpha-" Galinda started to protest.

"Save it." She held up an emerald hand to stop from having to hear some half-hearted apology.

"But-"

"No," the witch huffed as she resumed trying to yank off her stubborn left boot. "I said drop it. I don't want your pity."

"Pity?" Galinda sputtered, placing her hands on her hips and stomping her foot in exspertafication, "Is that what you think this is? You think I pity you?"

Elphaba raised her eyebrow in pointed quandary as if to ask, What else would it be?

"Argh!" the blonde growled, shaking her head in disbelief and causing her wild, golden curls to bounce every which way. She was at her wits end with this ridiculatory conversation. Why had she even bothered trying? "I tried to help you tonight!" she retorted, unable to keep a slightly haughty air from her voice. You think anyone else would've been out on that floor after you made such a spectacle of yourself, without me?"

The green girl only shrugged her shoulders in blaise uncertainty and Glinda's nostrils flared in rage. Why couldn't the vegetable understand what she had done for her? How much she had sacrificed by dancing with her in that stupid ballroom? "I put my social life on the line, for you!" she screeched, "Do you have any idea how terrifying that was?"

Elphaba let out a breathy laugh, "Yeah, I'm sure it was absolutely petrifying to abandon your little posse to dance with the 'grass eating freak,'" she snapped. "And yet, you did it. Why do you suppose that is? And don't try to tell me it's because you suddenly like me now." She shook a finger at the other girl, a satisfying smirk playing on her face as her roommate gnashed her teeth in indignation.

Glinda's face was blazing with fury as her gaze shifted back and forth, trying to find a way out of this scarendifying line of questions. "Because...because…" she stuttered, suddenly seeing nothing but red.

"Could it be, perhaps," the witch mused with a suspenseful glint in her eye. "Because I insisted Madam Morrible let you take sorcery and you didn't want to be in my debt?" she challenged accusingly.

All at once, some of the anger faded from her stormy orbs as Galinda's cheeks flushed in shame. She felt like the Cat who had eaten the Canary and then tried to blame it on the Dog when she had yellow feathers hanging out of her mouth; Caught. "Well...I…er..." Her gaze darted around the room, looking for something, anything, to focus on besides her green roommate's smug smile that contrasted dramatically with her hurt, telling eyes. "Yes…" she admitted reluctantly, settling her focus on her bright magenta heels that had bed tossed away haphazardly when she had first collapsed on her bed.

She stood in tense silence, impatient for Elphaba to respond, flinching unconsciously every few seconds as time passed. She wished the green girl would just end her torture already. She wanted her to yell, or scream, or let her magic loose and make things fly all over the room so that it looked like a cyclone had hit it.

Come on, she thought, still waiting for the house to fall on her, so to speak, Just do something. Anything was better than this insufferable quiet. What was she waiting for?

After an endless amount clock ticks with no sound in the dorm but her own shallow breathing and the stampeding thump of her heart in her ears, Galinda chanced a glance at the other side of the room. Her chest constricted slightly when she saw that Elphaba had turned toward the far wall. Her shoulders were slumped and her ebony hair hung in limp waves, hiding her face behind it's dark shield.

The usually optimistic blonde blinked back the sudden, unfamiliar burn of tears in her eyes as she noticed the girl's posture. Then she came to her senses and scoffed. Why should she, an heiress, feel for someone like this broccoli colored vagabond?

Because she's more than that, insisted the annoying little voice in the back of her head, and you know it. Galinda groaned; she knew it was right. Still, did she really have to admit it?

Turning back toward her roommate after brushing the stray tears from her eyes and collecting herself, she once again took in the other girl's petite frame. It surprised her, but suddenly Elphaba Thropp didn't look so different. Huddled there on her bed, with her knees curled into her chest, she looked not unlike Galinda had once upon a time, before she learned to follow the expectifications that drove every aspect of her world.

Not that you've been very good at that either, she thought nervously as she fought the urge to rest one hand on her knotted stomach. The answer she had given was clearly just what her roommate had suspected, but it nonetheless had stabbed like a knife point to hear it out loud. She knew that somewhere deep inside, Elphaba had been hoping for a different response, but for some reason, Galinda couldn't bring herself to lie. Not to her; not about this.

She just had to make her understand. In the beginning, Galinda had every intention of avoiding Elphaba like the slime-colored plague everyone thought she was. But tonight at the Ozdust, something had changed. Seeing Elphaba on the dance floor, making a fool of herself, knowing that she would be an all too easy target, and yet submitting herself to the surely torturous teasing if only so they wouldn't have the satisfaction of doing so behind her back; it was one of the bravest things Galinda had ever seen. Tonight she realized something about the reclusive green girl that few probably ever would; she cared. She cared about her sister, she cared about her friends, if she had any, and, maybe most shocking of all, she cared what people thought. She was just really good at hiding it. Galinda figured it was because she had to be. If she didn't learn to build up walls to keep out the hurt, she'd be a shriveling mess from all the constant scornery. She could only guess, but something told the bubbly blonde that the gossips of Shiz weren't the first her roommate had come across, and she cringed when she realized they likely wouldn't be the last. Biting her lip, Galinda sank down on her bed and sighed, recalling all too well her own horror stories of childhood. Automatically, her hand fluttered again to her churning stomach. Thinking about all that had happened recently, her eyes hardened with resolve. She couldn't control the rest of the world's actions, but she could control her own. One thing was for certain, if there were to be anymore gossip about the green girl, it wouldn't start with her, not again. After everything Elphaba had done for her by helping her enter into that sorcery class, it was time to repay the favor. Galinda was now determined to break through the sorceress's guarded, seemingly impenetrable walls that she had built around her heart. To show Elphaba that appearance wasn't all that mattered to everyone.

Though, they would have to do something about those horrendiforous baggy frocks she was always wearing because, while looks weren't the most important way to get people to like you, it certainly wouldn't be a crime to make her roommate a bit more approachable.

In an effort to make things better, the blonde cleared her throat and inched closer to the opposite side of the room and the drab, gray sheets that covered her roommate's bed. She stopped close enough so she was standing at the right foot of it, but wasn't intruding on Elphaba's personal space. "Yes," she tried again, her voice even softer than the first time and laced with remorse and she traced her fingers along the scratchy sheets, bundling a corner up in her hand. "Yes, I did start dancing with you because I felt guilty, but its not like what you think."

"Oh?" Elphaba sneered bitingly as she turned again to face her, sable eyes alight with anger and suspicion. "Well what was it like then? You're telling me you didn't come to my 'rescue'" she placed bitter, clipped air quotes around the word before continuing, "because you felt guilty that I had done you a favor when, all you and your petty little friends have done since we arrived here is reticule me and make cruel jokes behind my back?"

Galinda said nothing to that, choosing instead to once again glance regretfully down at her shoes.

"That's what I thought." the green girl affirmed bluntly, before shifting back to face the wall.

Galinda nibbled her lip and fought the burning sensation that stung her eyes. Why did Elphaba's opinion of her suddenly matter so much? "Ok, so maybe it was like that," she finally relented, not knowing what else to say. The witch opened her mouth to reply, but Galinda plunged ahead before she could, "At first, but not now! I truly didn't mean to hurt you Elphaba. I- I'm sorry," she choked out quietly.

"Yeah right," the other girl huffed, sarcasm thick in her tone, "And I'm the Wonderful Wizard of Oz." She rolled her eyes disdainfully.

"Really! I mean it!" Galinda insisted.

Elphaba just jeered, "Sure you do."

"I do. What do I have to do for you to believe me?"

The sorceress gritted her teeth and clenched her fists at her sides, "You really don't get it do you?"

"Get what?"

"How dispicable that sounds."

"Wha-" Glinda's eyes widened and her dainty brows creased in confusion.

Fed up with her roommate's little doe-eyed innocent act, Elphaba sprang to her feet and sauntered over, towering above Galinda's 4' 11" frame. "You see," she scoffed, "That's the thing with people like you. You're all the same!"

"P-people like me?" Galinda stammered incredulously, taking a small step back and cowering slightly under the taller girl's fiery gaze.

"Yes Miss 'Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands'," she spat, "Like you! Spoiled little rich airheads who only care about themselves!"

"And what would you know about me?" Galinda fired back, anger flaring in her chest once more. Now having found her courage, she was standing on her toes so as to be nose to nose with Elphaba.

"I know that anyone as entitled as you and your haughty friends wouldn't be caught dead with a reject like me unless there was a way to boost your reputation in line with it," Elphaba snapped. She tried to keep her voice steady, but despite her best efforts, it trembled right along with her emerald lip.

Her roommate bristled at the accusation."My friends don't define me, Elphaba Thropp," she snapped tersely, pointing a slim, well manicured finger at the witch, "any more than your green skin defines you." She stepped closer to her then, refusing to back down simply because Elphaba was trying to push her away.

Elphaba blinked and her mouth hung slightly open in shock. She was clearly as taken aback to hear the the words as the perky blonde had been to say them, but somehow, Galinda knew the comment had been the right one. She smiled softly to herself. She could see her roommates resolve crumble slightly as her hardened amber orbs softened. But it confused her when Elphaba's shoulders suddenly slouched in defeat and she slumped back on her bed.

"That's just it though," the green girl admitted sadly, with a harsh edge to her voice. "My skin does define me. It makes me a freak and a reject."

Galinda shook her head, finding it hard to believe that someone who to the outside world looked indestructible, could be so vulnerable in reality. And it baffled her even more that of all the people Elphaba could could show this side of herself to, though she knew there probably weren't many- still there had to be someone. Right? But looking at her again, Galinda realized that perhaps there wasn't anyone she felt she could confide in. Otherwise, why would she choose the "preppy, insufferable heiress," as she called her, rather than someone such as her own sister? The realization tugged at the blonde's heart strings and she started to protest,"But that's not-" before her roommate cut her off.

"Oh, but it is," she countered. Her voice was so steady, so sure, and it made something stir inside Galinda. She didn't know why, but it pained her to think the talented- yes, she would admit it- witch thought so little of herself. What kind of life must she have had for her self-esteem to be so painstakingly low? Galinda shuddered to imagine such a thing. Her parents were strict, but deep down she knew they only wished the best for her. Warily, she inched closer to the bed, watching Elphaba's eyes as she approached. When her roommate didn't immediately recoil in disgust, she cautiously tucked her legs underneath her and settled on the bed next to the ebony haired sorceress. She was careful not to touch her, she knew Elphaba wasn't used to human contact and she didn't want to make the sorceress recoil back into herself just when she had begun to open up, but she wanted her new friend to know she wasn't alone.

She was about to deny Elphaba's last deduction, but clamped her mouth shut as the green girl kept talking, almost to herself now. She thrust her hands out in front of her, palms facing upward, and stared at them in utter disgust. As if, even though she'd looked the same her entire life, sometimes the proof how how different she truly was still perplexed her. "This hideous green pigment and that stupid magical glitch of mine," she jeered in revulsion, "those things label me an outcast just the same way your bouncy hair and ridiculously frilly dresses and dimwitted little friends define you as a popular, prissy, airheaded heiress."

Galinda winced at that comment, but for once, she was more concerned about someone else than herself. "No they don't!" she protested heatedly. "You're not a reject Elphaba! You're the most powerful witch Madam Morrible has ever seen! You got an invitation to meet the Wizard! That's something I could never do in a million years! You should be proud of your powers, and your skin;" On impulse, she grabbed her roommates hand, beaming unconsciously at her when she didn't immediately snatch it away. Elphaba stayed silent, but kept her eyes trained on the far wall as Galinda proceeded to try what she considered fruitfulness attempts to encourage her.

I know who I am, she thought mockingly, I'm the green sheep of the family; the perfect baby gone wrong. And whether I like it or not, that's isn't about to change.

"They make you who you are." Galinda squeezed her hand, oblivious to the inner loathing the other girl was inflicting on herself. She paused and chewed her lip nervously before continuing, "And as for me, well, I'm not all everyone says, either." For a third time, she glanced at her stomach, and for the third time, she stopped herself from resting her palm on her sternum.

Elphaba slumped back down on her bed and shook her head. Her voice raw from yelling, and her next sentiment came out barely above a whisper "Of course you are!" she denied, and Galinda had to bite down hard on her inner cheek to keep from saying otherwise. "You're 'perfect.'

Again, Galinda tried to speak up, and again her roommate shook hat head.

"Don't bother trying to convince me it's not true, we both know it is. As much as we might not want it to, what's on the outside means more to anyone than what's on the inside. You only did what you did to help yourself," she insisted once more. But unlike the last time, her voice was unsure now, and she wouldn't look the blonde in the eye. Galinda watched as a single, solitary tear trekked her way down Elphaba's emerald cheek, and it tugged at her heart to see it. What could she do to prove that wasn't the case?

"I didn't," she corrected again. Her voice was much kinder, more sincere this time. If she didn't know any better, Elphaba might have believed her. "I swear. And I'm going to find a way to prove it to you."

The green girl grunted indignantly and threw her a look. "How?"

The blonde shrugged in response and Elphaba smirked knowingly. For too many clock ticks, Galinda sat with her brows scrunched together, lost in thought.

Then it struck her. It wasn't foolproof, but it might just cheer Elphaba up; and if she was lucky, they both might learn a little something about each other too. She smiled widely, and Elphaba cringed in anticipation. Galinda giggled and nugged her playfully. "I have an idea," she sing-songed, bouncing up and down on the bed in excitement.

"Pfft." The green girl rolled her eyes, "I'll bet you do."

She was prepared for the sarcastic response and continued brightly with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, trying to ignore the fact that the room had started spinning. "Let's tell each other something we've never told anyone."

Elphaba raised a skeptical brow, but that did nothing to deter the blonde. "I'll go first;" she chirped before pausing for dramatic effect, "Fiyero and I are going to be married!" She covered her mouth with her hands and squealed, her eyes alight with false pleasure. Ok, so maybe that wasn't the real secret, but she wasn't quite ready to divulge that yet. And besides, it wouldn't have elicited the response she was hoping for. She went to launch herself off the bed, but the floor swayed underneath her and she lost her footing and slipped. Elphaba thrust her hands out to keep her upright, all the while trying unsuccessfully to keep from laughing at her peppy roommate's theatrical antics. She knew Glinda doing all this just to make her crack a smile, and despite her best efforts, an unladylike snorting giggle escaped her lips as she helped Galinda steady herself on the bed.

"Really?" she snickered, biting down hard on her lip to try and keep from grinning, "He's asked you already?

Galinda's eyes sparkled as she turned to face her new friend. She grinned and waved her hand nonchalantly, as if that were a just minor detail in the scheme of things, "No, he doesn't know yet."

This time, the green girl couldn't help herself; she let out a loud, hearty laugh. "Galinda Upland, you are just about the craziest girl in all of Oz!"

"Ah ha!" Galinda exclaimed, picking up Elpaba's pillow and swatting her playfully with it, "I knew I could get you to laugh," she smirked triumphantly.

Elphaba covered her mouth with her hand as her cheeks burned and even deeper shade of green, "Yeah well, don't get too used to it," she warned, but there was a happy glint in her eye as she said this, and it made the blonde's insides warm.

"Now, you tell me a secret."

"Mmm, like what?" Elphaba asked. She really didn't have anything secret enough to be worth sharing. Well...maybe there was one thing, but she wasn't sure she wanted to go down that road...

Galinda tapped her finger to her chin, trying to think. What did she want to know about the mysterious Elphaba Thropp? She knew it couldn't be anything too serious, or she might get shut out again. Glancing around the room, the blonde furrowed her brows as she searched for inspiration. Suddenly, a emerald glint caught her eye. When she swiveled around, there was a small container settled peacefully on her roommate's sheets...right where her pillow had been. Without thinking, Galinda snatched it up in the palm of her hand, bounded off the bed and skipped a few steps across the room, hoping not to stumble as she felt the carpet sway again. "Like... Why do you always sleep with this funny, little, green bottle under your pillow?" She opened her palm to reveal the tiny vial filled with sloshing jade liquid. She held it high above her head, laughing and prancing closer to her side of the room, thinking it might be fun to make Elphaba play catch-up.

Bad idea.

Elphaba's gaze immediately hardened and she shot of the bed faster than the blonde could blink. "Give that back," she demanded steelily.

But the girl's agitated tone went unnoticed by Galinda, who was becoming more dizzy and disoriented by the minute. Maybe she shouldn't have had those last three Ozmopolitans at the dance …. Nah!

She jumped up on top of her silky duvet and bouncing up and down, wiggling the bottle in front of her nose and taunting, "C'mon, tell me. Tell me, tell me!"

Elphaba sprinted to the bed and reached up to grab the bottle, but Galinda held it out of her reach. Anger flashing in her sable eyes, she climbed up on the cushiony duvet and pinned Galinda to the sheets, struggling to keep her arms in one spot so she could take back the vial. "Give it.. Give it back!" she panted, reaching up only to be blocked by the other girl's hand.

"Noo!" Galinda shrieked with a loud, girlish giggle. She could feel the alcohol starting to take its toll, but in her stupor she was having too much fun seeing Elphaba mad to care.

"Give… give… Give it!" she begged frantically. She struggled with Galinda, feeling her magic build up inside her as the stress of the moment heightened. For a clock tick, all she saw was red. The next thing she knew, Galinda's hand released the bottle, her eyes wide with fear. Elphaba squelched the ball of energy that had welled up inside her. "It was my mother's!" she yelled by way of an explanation, "That's all…" She snached back the vile and dashed over to her bed without another word. She pulled a pillow to her chest and blinked back fresh tears as she fingered the precious bottle in her hands. It was the only thing she had left of the one person who loved her. And, of course, she had to be taken away from her too.

Galinda sat in silence, fiddling with her hands and chewing her lip in remorse. She knew she'd gone too far and she cursed herself for doing so just when they were starting to get along. The alcohol was partly to blame, but she was still coherent enough to know it had been a dimwitted and spiteful decision to egg Elphaba on. "I- I'm sorry…" she whispered, "I didn't know…"

Elphaba said nothing.

"I didn't mean to make you mad...I just got excited is all. And sometimes I do things without thinking." She laughed a hollow laugh and her blue eyes were wide and pleading. Her voice trembled slightly as she tentatively tried again, "I really am sorry Elphie...can I call you Elphie?

Her roommate snorted, but Galinda saw her crack a small smile, "It's a little perky," she retorted.

Galinda grinned softly, taking that as a yes. Then she glanced back down at her lap anxiously. Her hands twisted together in anticipation. She took a deep breath and squeaked out cautiously, "So, can you, um..can you forgive me?"

Elphaba sighed and twisted the bottle around in her fingers thoughtfully. She could tell from her roommate's soft, pleading voice that she really hadn't meant to distress her. It had honestly been an accident, driven by overconsumption of alcohol, no doubt. After all, Elphaba had seen her down at least four Ozmopolitans at the Ozdust, but also knew it was an accident nonetheless. She caressed the small vial blinked rapidly as memories flooded back to her, of her childhood with, and before, Nessa. She remembered her mother running her hands through her daughter's dark, ebony curls and telling her how beautiful they were. She remembered how she would laugh every time that happened.

"Mama," she would chide, half joking, half serious. "Don't lie. I know I'm not pretty." Whenever Elphaba said that, she would hear her mother sigh and place the brush on the table next to her bed. The quilt would rustle as her mother shifted position so she could see her daughter's face. She would take her small green chin in her ivory-colored hand, and gently lift it so Elphaba had no choice but to meet her mother's glowing crystal blue orbs with her own sable ones.

"You, my Fabala," she would smile softly, using her daughter's favorite pet name as her gaze sparkling with pride for her only little girl, "are beautiful."

"But, I'm green." Elphaba would respond, not quite comprehending how exactly her mother could associate the strange color of her skin with anything remotely pretty. No one else did.

Her mother's eyes would soften then, and she would reach up to brush a stray raven tress of hair out of her daughter's face before placing a kiss on her tender forehead. "Yes, you are. But looks aren't everything, Fabala. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met."

"I do?" she would ask, smiling now.

"Mmm," her mother would say, tapping her nose playfully as she affectionately kissed her cheek. "And the brightest smile." At this point, her mother would've found her ticklish spot on her ribs. Just touching it would make the young witch shriek with laughter, "And the most infectious laugh," her mother would finish triumphantly. "You even have a Talent. One day you'll be a great sorceress, my love. Those are the things that matter; not what you look like on the outside, but how good you are on the inside. And inside? You are the best, strongest girl I know."

Elphaba would lean into her mother then, content to stay curled up in her soothing, loving embrace for all time. "Don't ever leave me," she would murmur into her shirt.

Her mother would simply laugh and kiss her again, one hand carding her long, ebony tresses. "Never, Fabala. Whatever happens, I will always be with you."

But she wasn't with her. And it was all Elphaba's fault.

That's what her father had always said. Ever since her mother died and her sister had been born cripple, Frex had done nothing but blame his first born for any misfortune that befell either him or his precious Nessarose.

"Elphie? Are you ok?" Galinda asked cautiously from her perch on her plush pink duvet. She'd been watching the sorceress brood over that little green bottle for the last fifteen minutes and the somber look on her face was beginning to worry the perky blonde. "Elphie?" she repeated, this time a bit louder.

Elphaba closed her eyes and let out a long breath. Later, she wouldn't be able to define why exactly she decided to admit it just then. All she knew was that she was tired of bottling up her feelings. She needed someone to know, she realized. She needed them to know everything. How much it really did hurt when everyone made fun of the way she looked, the anger and resentment she secretly felt toward her father and sister for basically shunning her for the entire rest of her life after her mother's passing, but most of all, the guilt that had been eating her up inside for so many years. Guilt over her mother's death, her sister's confinement to her wheelchair, her father's blatant disgust of her. If she didn't tell someone soon, Elphaba felt she might actually combust from the sheer weight of it all. After several deep, ragged breaths, she finally whispered, "My father hates me."

Galinda blinked, creasing her brows in confusion. She was unsure if she had indeed heard her roommate say something, or if she'd simply imagined it. "What?"

Elphaba sighed and said, "That secret you wanted? My father hates me."

Her roommate gasped in shock, "What?" she queried, aghast. "Why?" It was obvious the students at Shiz didn't like her, what with her strange color and unpredictable magic, but her own father? Galinda simply couldn't comprehend that.

"No," the green girl corrected, "that's not the secret. Well, not all of it anyway," she amended sadly, and Galinda winced at the prospect of what might be coming next. "The secret is he has a good reason." Elphaba fingered the edges of the vile and rested her forearms atop the stripped pillow settled on her legs. She kept her gaze trained to her lap so Galinda didn't see the tears rising in her eyes. "It's my fault..." she choked out, her tone raw with emotion.

Galinda bit her lip, feeling her own eyes water at the years of pent up feelings that laced her new friend's voice. She pushed herself up of the bed and once again made her way over to her roommate's bunk, doing her best to ignore the swaying floor and her pounding head. Elphaba needed her, and though she couldn't pinpoint exactly why, she wanted to be there for her as best she could. She sat delicately on the bed next to the sorceress and grasped her emerald hand in her own. Elphaba was surprised by the sudden contact, but squeezed back and offered her a watery smile as their eyes met.

Galinda's thumb lightly caressed Elphaba's knuckles in comfort as she gently prodded the green girl to continue speaking, "What? What's your fault?"

Elphaba sighed a watery sigh and chewed her black-painted lip,"... That my sister is the way she is. . ."

"What do you mean?" Galinda asked quietly, now more confused then ever. How could Elphaba be responsible for they way Nessa was born? It didn't make any sense.

Elphie fiddled with the corner of her pillow, trying to keep a new set of tears at bay. "You see, when my mother was carrying Nessa, my father was worried that the new baby might come out..."

As her roommate spoke, the pieces slowly fell into place for the blonde. She couldn't quite believe it, but there was a part of her that just knew. When Elphaba trailed off before finishing the next sentence, she was ready to fill in the blank.

"Green," they chorused together, and Elphaba's lips curled upward slightly at the spontaneous moment of the two supposed nemesis' having the same train of thought.

"Yes." she confirmed, nodding ever so slightly before continuing, "He was so worried that he made my mother chew milk flowers, day and night." She blinked rapidly as tears began to course down her cheeks. But try as she might, this time she was powerless to stop them. Even so, she wanted to get through this. With shaky breaths, she drew herself up and did her best to continue, "But that made Nessa come too soon... with her little legs all tangled. And my mother... She never woke up." Elphaba glanced quickly at Galinda, whose eyes were full of sympathy, "Elphie I-"

The sorceress caught her bottom lip between her teeth and turned away before adding mournfully, "None of which ever would have happened if not for me."

As the words came in faster waves and tears tickled the edges of the emerald sorceresses eyes, Galinda's heart broke for her roommate. To think that all her life she had lived with the burden of thinking she was responsible for her mother's death. How a father could blame his innocent daughter for something that was clearly his own fault? He was the one who insisted on such drastic measures! The blonde simply could not fathom it. Frex's cowardice had killed his wife, not Elphie. He was the one who had insisted on such severe treatment that could very well endanger his wife's health; all because he was too afraid to face the possibility of having another daughter or son who was different. Galinda's gaze burned with fury at Elphaba's father. He made his own daughter feel like a worthless outcast simply because she wasn't like him. The blonde winced when she realized that she herself, along with almost every student at Shiz, and most likely everywhere Elphaba had ever gone, had done nothing but reinforce her despicable father's accusations. They jeered and teased her; she was the brunt of every joke and the center of all the recent gossip. Her father had knocked down her self esteem, but bit by bit, her peers were the ones that were stripping it away.

Well, there would be no more of that if Galinda had anything to say about it. With a new determination, the blonde squeezed her roommate's hand in reassurance as her confident, gray-blue eyes meet Elphie's vulnerable, sable orbs. "That was the Milk Flower's fault," she attested fiercely. She wanted to shake her head in protest, but every time she tried, the room spun sideways and she felt as though she were on a merry-go-round. She brought her free hand up to her left temple and rubbed, attempting in vain to stop the pounding. "Not yours. That may be your secret, Elphaba, but that doesn't make it true."

But Elphaba didn't believe her. She turned toward the wall, brushing furiously at her wet cheeks with the back of her wrists, "How do u know that?" she asked, her voice slightly tarse, and scratchy from the emotional toll of the night.

"Because…" Galinda's gaze shifted to her lap, and she brought her palms to press up against the sides of her aching forehead. She didn't know if this was a wise idea, but after everything she had put her through since they arrived at Shiz, Elphaba at least deserved the truth. She had spilled her biggest regret, now it was Glinda's turn. "Because I know what it's like when everyone thinks you're someone you're not."

Elphaba snorted in contempt, but said nothing.

"Remember when I said I was going to marry Fiyero?" she asked, and her roommate nodded. "Well IonlysaidthatbecauseImightbepregnant!" she confessed in a rushed ramble of slurried, drunken words. Elphaba's head whipped around to face her, her sable eyes wide as saucers.

"What?" she breathed, not sure she heard right.

"I don't even know why I did it!" Galinda wailed suddenly, as a spontaneous tears pooled in her eyes. "Do I even love him? We only met last month! Oh Oz, what am I going to do if I'm actually pregnant?! He'll hate me! And what will my parent's say? Oz, I'm so dead!" She jumped of the bed, only to stagger backward as her knees buckled under her. Elphaba threw her hands upward to try and brace the blonde's back, but her arms weren't long enough and Galinda's upper body flopped backward, landing on the green girl's scruffy sheets with a thud and pinning Elphaba's arm underneath her.

"Oow!" Elphaba groaned, wiggling her forearm out from underneath the blonde, who was surprisingly heavy for someone her size. She sat back up and looked over at her roommate, who was staring blankly up at the ceiling with hot, angry tears trailing down her milk white cheeks. "Are you ok?"

Galinda groaned, sitting up and punching the comforter with her fist. "I'm so stupid!" she screamed. "I should've never even come to Shiz; I should've just stayed home and married that arrogant noble boy! Why did I ever convince myself that this was a good idea? Oh, Elphie, what am I going to do?"

Elphaba sat stiff as a board as Galinda clung to her midriff for dear life as tears soaked her nightshirt. She took the one arm that wasn't trapped in her roommate's death grip and wrapped it awkwardly around the sobbing girl's frame in an attempt to soothe her. "Don't cry, Galinda!" she pleaded desperately, completely out of her element now and praying she was doing the right thing. "Everything will work out!"

"You don't know that!" the blonde sniffed miserably, shaking her head so her curls mused Elphaba's thin nightgown. "If this is real, if I really am pregnant. my whole life will be over!"

Elphaba wanted to scoff at her new friends dramatics,, but she knew this wasn't the time. Then Galinda words registered, "Wait," she asked cautiously, "You don't know if you're pregnant or not? Have you not taken a test?" Her eyes went wide and she was suddenly very concerned.

Galinda shook her head sorrow "No… I- I've be-been t-to scared t- to fi-find out. W-what if he- he hates me?" she asked earnestly, her words coming out in broken, slurred spurts.

Elphaba closed her eyes and took deep breath as she tried to compose herself. "Ok," she breathed, focusing her gaze back on her distraught roommate. "Glin, I'm going to need you to start from the beginning. What exactly happened? Why do you think you might be pregnant?"

"It- It was about three w-weeks ag- ago. The weekend after Fiyero first got he- here. I- I was out with Sh- ShenShen and Pf- Pfanne, and we'd had a few drinks. On the way back to the dorm, we caught up with Fiyero and a few of his buddies. They just got back from playing pool at the bar down the street, I g- guess he w- was a little drunk too. I- I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders listlessly. "Anyway, I'd been trying to get his attention for days, but that was the first time he'd actually noticed me and well, he asked me to come up to his room and-"

"Galinda, tell me you didn't!" Elphaba gasped, shaking her head in disbelief.

Her roommate bit her lip and stayed silent as she gazed up at the sorceress with pleading, frightened eyes. "Oh, Galinda!" she scolded, then cringed when more tears coursed down the blonde's cheeks and she winced at the green girl's slightly annoyed tone. Elphaba sighed and pulled her into an awkward hug before asking, gentler this time, "And I'm guessing you didn't use any…protection?"

Again, her roommate did nothing but shake her head pitifully. "I- I realized something was wrong last week, when I missed my period." She huffed and then let out a frustrated yell. "I can't believe I was so stupid!" she lamented. "I don't even know why I agreed! I guess I was just…" Her distraught gaze met Elphaba's once more, "My parent's have always controlled every aspect of my life, what I wore, how I talked, who I hung out with. And when I came to Shiz, I guess I just wanted to make my own decision for once, y'know? And, now, because of my stupidity, I may have ruined everything. She collapsed against Elphaba once more, now on the brink of total hysteria.

"Glin," the green girl said sternly, "You need to calm down. You're going to make yourself sick. Until we know if this is real-"

"What does it matter?" the blonde choked out. "Everything's already ruined. After what I did for you at the Ozdust tonight, half this school will probably never speak to me again!" she retorted bitterly.

Elphaba ignored the jab, taking the blonde by her shoulders and forcing her to meet her gaze. "It matters," she attested fiercely, "because you could be freaking out over nothing. Now, here's what we're going to do," she continued as she gently helped her roommate stand and make her way over to her own bed. "Right now, you're going to get some sleep, and in the morning, I'll go down to the drugstore with you and we'll pick up a pregnancy test, alright?"

"Mm…" was all Galinda could manage as Elphaba gently helped her lay down and draped the heavy, magenta comforter over her slim frame.

"Don't worry, Glin," the green girl reassured her as she made her way back to her own bunk and clamored under the covers, "Everything will work out the way it's supposed to. And whatever happens, your life will not be over." She waited for a few clock ticks to see if Galinda had heard her. When she didn't respond, Elphaba shrugged, figuring she was just extremely worn out; not that the green girl could blame her. Elphaba flicked off the light and snuggled under her sheets. Just before sleep could claim her, she cracked one eye open when she heard rustling from Glinda's side of the room.

"Elphie?" the blonde whispered cautiously.

"Mmm?" she yawned sleepily.

"Thanks."

Elphaba smiled into the darkness, glad that for once, she had apparently been a comfort rather than just a commotion. "Your welcome, Glin. Good night." The warm feeling that had spread through her chest when Galinda had thanked her only strengthened as she came closer to sleep. As crazy as a night as it had been, she could finally say, for once, that she had a real, true friend. And no matter what came in the morning, she was determined to be there for Galinda, in the best way she knew how. She only hoped their friendship would last once the sun rose tomorrow.


	2. Between the Lines

**A/N: So… Y'all twisted my arm, haha. This has now evolved from a cute little oneshot to something…else hehe. All of this will be entirely new territory for me as a writer, but I'm so excited to try. I hope y'all will enjoy the ride! Giant shout out to my great friends and beta; CharlotteAshmore, ooncer, and my amazing beta Fae'sFlower! This chap, as I have a feeling will be the rest of the story, was a real team effort. You guys ROCK! Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical!**

**2**

**Between The Lines**

Tweet, usually peaceful sound resonated through the dorm like nails on a chalkboard. Elphaba opened one chocolate brown eye and groaned. What in Oz were the birds doing awake this early? Slowly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She tried to blink and remove the sleep from her wary eyes, but as soon as the light hit them, she cringed and a shooting pain pulsed in her head. She pressed her palms to her temples and put her head between her knees in an effort to lessen the throbbing. When the sharp aching reduced from a stabbing knife to a mere pounding, the sorceress carefully raised her head and glanced at the clock; 7:35 a.m, Elphaba moaned and slouched back into her pillows. It was still much too early to get up, especially for a Saturday morning. Yawning, she shifted her weight and let her eyes wander to Galinda's elaborate bunk on the opposite side of the room. She was sleeping with her head turned to the side, facing the green girl. Her hair was sticking up every which way, and most of what had been perfectly golden ringlets the night before were now loose waves that framed her face. She let her left arm hang limply over the edge of the bed, and her right one was draped above her head, her hand slightly open and relaxed. Her ruffled dress peaked out from underneath the rose duvet and a small trail of drool slipped out of her delicately parted magenta pink lips. Elphaba snorted behind her hand. She had never taking the time to notice before, but her roommate looked very...un-Galinda like when she slept. For once, every hair wasn't in it's proper place, and her clothes were mused and wrinkled from twirling in her sleep. She smirked, wondering what the pristine blonde would think if anyone else were to see her like sorceress sat there for a few more minutes, not quite tired enough now to fully go back to sleep, but unenthusiastic to leave the comforting warmth of her bed for the cool air of the brisk, September morning. She had just picked up her newest book from it's place on the nightstand, flipping through the pages to find the spot where she'd left off; and hoping she could still comprehend the written word without getting sick to her stomach from the slowly increasing pulsation of her temples, when she heard Galinda began to mumble in her sleep.

"Fi...Fiyero...baby….don't want...pregnant." Her face scrunched up in anguish and she started to twist around in the sheets, "Didn't want... stupid... ruined... everything." she moaned.

Elphaba's face drained of its color, now a light lime rather than its usual, vibrant emerald. Memories of the previous nights events came flooding back; the dance, their fight, Elphaba's secret...and last, Galinda's shocking confession.

She snapped the book closed and set it back on her night table, not even bothering to see whether she'd bookmarked it. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, the witch did her best to stay steady as she carefully rose to her feet. The room spun slightly and the floor teetered under her. She could tell the Emeraltini she'd had last night, upon Galinda's insistence and against her better judgement, had caught up with her. Unlike the blonde, she didn't often go to parties, and so was far from used to the consequences of alcohol. As she groped to her dresser and fished for the bottle of aspirin in the top drawer, she thanked Oz she'd had enough common sense to stop at one.

Downing the pills dry, she looked back over at her roommate. Galinda was still tossing and turning. The sheets were bunched up around her and her cheeks were wet as if she'd been crying in her sleep, though Elphaba hadn't heard. She frowned. A part of her wanted to wake the distraught girl right then, but she knew that her roommate's hangover would be ten times worse than her own simple headache, and Elphaba wanted to be ready with supplies to help as soon as she awoke.

Not to mention, the green girl realized with a grimace, that after her little drinking spree last night, she'd probably come around thinking all her pregnancy fears were just another part of whatever hideous nightmare she was having right now. Elphaba would've liked to believe that too. But she remembered the blonde's terrifying admission with almost painfully poignant clarity; she knew Galinda had been serious when she voiced her worries of being pregnant, and the news wasn't something either of them should brush off lightly. Especially after how hard she'd partied last night. Elphaba knew they had to get her status either confirmed or denied so the blonde could start taking better care of herself, with or without the bundle of new life she was pertrified she might be carrying. Still, knowing what the right thing was and actually doing it were two entirely different things. The sorceress hated that she would have to shatter Galinda's blissful bubble once she awoke, and she dreaded the terrified reaction that she was almost certain would follow. But, it was the best thing for her new friend, and so, as hard as it would be to break the blonde's heart all over again, she fully intended to do it.

Sighing, she placed her shaking hands atop the dresser and tried her best to think. She had seen her father hung over quite often, but he always insisted Nessa be the one to help him, not his disgrace of a first-born. She would always offer to help, but her father would chide with a role of his eyes and a harsh edge of sarcasm to his voice in his drunken stupor, that "even a cripple could do a better job than her." Elphaba remembered seeing Nessa wince every time he made a comment like that; and she would reach over and gently grasp her sister's hand in support. Unlike the eldest Thropp though, Nessa grew to seldomly pay mind to such speech, as she knew their father was speaking without his brain in those moments, and he constantly showered her with praise and gifts all her life, so there was no doubt in her mind that he loved her. Now, when their father came stumbling home after a particularly long night, Nessa would almost immediately wheel off to assist him without protest.

Pushing those painful memories aside, Elphaba wracked her brain. What would Nessa do? she wondered. She remembered that one of the things her father would complain about most the next morning was the noise level. He always said he had a splitting headache and would beg them to quiet down, even if she and Nessa were all the way outside in the garden. The lightbulb went on and she swiped the bottle of medication off the chest of drawers and poured two more pills into her hand, setting them on Galinda's night stand and taking the water cup she left by her bed to refill it from the bathroom sink. Nessa always told her father how important it was that he keep himself hydrated. She stood back after placing the now full cup next to the pills and tapped her chin; what else could she do to help?

Galinda hadn't eaten much the night before; she'd been too busy dancing with Fiyero and the gaggle of boys who followed her around like lovesick puppies. Elphaba wondered if she might wake up hungry, but she wasn't sure how the blonde's system would react to the multitude of drinks she'd had. At the mention of food however, the green girl felt her own stomach grumble. Checking the clock, the sorceress realized it was only fifteen minutes that she'd actually been awake, a bit too early for breakfast, she thought. But the loud protest of her stomach suggested otherwise. Dressing quickly in a simple white shirt and navy skirt with black stockings and flats, Elphaba tied her hair back in a loose ponytail and scrawled a quick note to her roommate in the event that she awoke while the witch was away. She dropped it next to the pills and water and quietly slipped out into the hallway, careful not to slam the door behind her.

"Morning, Elphaba," the copper-haired girl behind the counter smiled. "Bit early for breakfast isn't it?" she grinned jokingly. "What can I get you today? The usual?"

"Morning Callie," Elphaba acknowledged politely. The young barista was another girl who stayed in their dorm. She was also the only other person at Shiz whom the green girl had discovered to have a Talent.

Her full name was Calliope, meaning beautiful voice. Fittingly enough, she was a Siren-ness; any tune she sang, provided it was the right one to affect her subject, had the ability to render anyone, human, Animal, or animal, completely out of control, only able to bend to her will until she released them with another tune. Like the sorceress, Callie had struggled with her Gift since childhood. Her accidental commands had caused many fights at her various schools and she was always shunned for her powers. Most people either ridiculed her for her strange ability, or cowered in fear of what she might make them do. Calliope was the only other girl Elphaba had met who understood what it meant to be different, and because of this, the two had bonded quickly after meeting in Madam Morrible's sorcery seminar on the first day of classes, The Head Shizstress had initially thought she would be able to train Calliope as well, but the moment the young girl opened her mouth and started to sing, Morrible was helpless to the will of her student. Since then she had been placed in a private class with the resident vocal teacher, Mele. Callie was relieved when she'd been moved there, because now she no longer had to worry about her powers overwhelming her. Mele was a Mockingbird, and because of her ability to mimic songs, if the girl's powers ever grew too strong, all the teacher had to do was sing the song back to her and its effects were null and void.

"Just some rye toast and a small fruit cup to go please." Elphaba requested as she handed the barista her student ID.

Callie took it and tapped her order into the register, frowning slightly. "Are you sure? Usually you're drooling over the lemon pound cake; you're not sick are you?"

"No," Elphaba smiled as she took the light bag her friend handed her over the counter. "This isn't for me anyway, it's for Galinda. She had a little too much fun at the party last night and I wasn't sure what to bring her when she got up, so I figured something light would be good.

Calliope raised a pointed eyebrow at the emerald girl, "You're bringing Galinda breakfast?" she asked in amazement. "As in, 'Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands'? The Galinda who can't stand anything about you and whom, two days ago you referred to as a 'blissfully blonde, entitled, snobberific airhead'? That Galinda?"

The sorceress blushed and shrugged sheepishly. "Um...yes?"

"Since when are the two of you friends?" she inquired curiously.

Elphaba coughed, "Um...er...since last night, actually," she stated matter-of-factly, wincing at how strange she knew that must sound.

"Really?" her friend asked incredulously, "What happened to make the ice queen have a change of heart?"

The green girl shrugged, "I'm guessing it had something to do with the fact that I basically forced Horrible Morrible to let her into that sorcery seminar."

"You didn't!" the other girl gasped, clearly impressed. No one had ever dared stand up to the Head Shiztress; she was just too terrifying. "What did she say?"

"Galinda?" the sorceress asked jokingly, feigning innocence when she saw the barista's irritated look.

"No!" Callie laughed, rolling her eyes and swatting her friend with her espresso stained apron. "Not Galinda, you little sneak! Morrible! What did she say when you asked her to teach Galinda?"

Elphaba spread her hands in blaise nonchalance, "She didn't really have much choice to say anything but yes," the witch explained with a prideful edge to her voice that surprised even her. "I told her she had to let Galinda enroll or I'd quit the seminar."

"Elphaba Melinda Thropp!" the younger girl breathed, her bright green eyes wide with a mixture of horror and admiration. "What in all of Oz would make you say that? I mean, I know you can't stand the old bat, but still!"

The green girl chuckled, "It's kind of a long story, Cal," she said, trying to avoid the topic.

"I've got time," her friend fired back, responding to the witch's eye roll with a cheeky smile just as her co-worker called out from the back.

"Calliope! Quit chatting! The morning rush starts in an hour and we're out of to-go bags!"

Callie winced. "Check in the new shipment!" she yelled. Then she turned to Elphaba and sighed, "I'm sorry, Lucas is hopeless back there, I gotta go." She shook her head ruefully, "But don't think this conversation is over Elphaba Thropp! Tomorrow you will tell me what happened at that party to make you and Galinda friends, or else no more lemon cake!"

Elphaba laughed and her eyes widened in mock horror, "You wouldn't!" she joked.

"I will." Callie returned, her eyes glinting mischieviously.

"Ok, ok!" Elphaba held up her hands in surrender, "See you tomorrow... Songbird," she smirked.

The barista stuck out her tongue at the nickname, "You're pushing your luck... Ellie," she warned with a playful wink.

The sorceress grinned and shot a fake death glare at her friend as she made her way into the hall.

* * *

><p>Back in their dorm, Elphaba put the bag of food down on her nightstand and quietly crossed the room to Galinda's fluffy bed. "Glin," she called softly, "Galinda, its time to get up."<p>

"No...don't want...pee in cup," she mumbled incoherently.

Elphaba frowned; obviously she was still in the middle of the nightmare she'd been having when her roommate had first left. The green girl cringed when she was reminded that it wasn't just a bad dream, it was real. Or at least, it could be. But before they could deal with any of that, she had to get her lethargic roommate out of bed. Sitting down gently on the right side of the comforter , she groaned when she felt it sag under her weight. Placing an emerald green hand on her roommate's pale shoulder she gently tried to shake her awake. "Galinda."

"Mmm," the blonde stirred, "Head hurts, five more minutes, Momsie."

Elphaba sighed and shook her shoulder once more; she knew she had to get her roommate to at least take the pills and drink something, or else she'd sleep all day and be extremely dehydrated tomorrow. "I know Glin," she sympathized quietly, "but if you wake up, I have something that'll make it feel better," she coaxed. This time, her roommate blinked and slowly opened her eyes.

Galina winced as pain stabbed her, searing and sharp, between her eyes. Her stomach roiled and churned and her bladder felt as though it were about to burst. It wasn't the first time this had happened to her, but she had hoped never to feel this way again. She none too gently shoved her friend out of the way in a mad ditch effort to get to the bathroom to empty her much too full bladder. She sighed as she righted her clothes and washed her hands, even the sound of the toilet flushing too loud for her aching head.

Her roommate knocked on door, calling, "Are you ok?"

She held her head in her hands as the pounding of the wooden door reverberated painfully in her skull. Thrusting it open, she cracked an eyelid and glared at her friend. "I'm not drinking ever again."

"Mm hmm," Elphaba rolled her eyes, not believing her words in the slightest."And how many times have you said that before?" she asked, raising a pointed eyebrow.

"This time I mean it. Seriously," she replied with a what her friend assumed was supposed to be a look of determination but came out more like a grimace. She took a chance and opened both eyes. Big mistake. The room spun crazily on it's access and her stomach rolled violently, twisting in on itself. She slammed the door again and raced to the toilet, barely over the bowl before retching up the contents of her stomach.

"Glin," the green girl called softly, not wanting to irritate her friend even more. "Are you ok? Is there anything I can do?" Elphaba winced at how pitiful those questions sounded, but she really hadn't the slightest clue what else to say.

"You can let me die in peace, thank you very much," Galinda snarked, resting her face against the cool rim of the commode.

Well, that was certainly not an option. Nessa never left their father alone when he was like this, and she wasn't about to do that to Galinda. Elphaba shoved open the door and cringed at the sight of the usually perky blonde, now lying in fetal position on the floor, looking absolutely miserable. She wet a washcloth in the sink and wrung it out, sitting next to her roommate on the rug and bathing her face. "I'm sorry you feel like this."

"No, you aren't." Galinda snorted. "Admit it, you love seeing the popular girl dethroned." She groaned and clutched her stomach once more. Elphaba helped her to her knees, and she managed to lean over the toilet just in time. The green girl held her messy hair away from her face as she emptied the meager contents of her stomach into the commode. When she was done, she sat back on her haunches and rested her cheek on the cool porcelain.

Elphaba sighed and bit back the retort that was on the tip of her tongue. It was strange, thinking that the roommate she despised only two days ago had spilled her guts to her, literally and figuratively, in one night of a crazy drunken stupor. But even if she and Galinda had still been at odds with each other, she wouldn't have enjoyed seeing her like this. Even as much as she resented her father, she always hated seeing him sick. Had he not pushed her away, she would've helped in a heartbeat. Galinda was no different; especially since they were actually beginning to get along, and the blonde, sometimes anyway, seemed to appreciate what she was trying to do. "No, I don't, Glin. We're friends now, remember? Or at least, we were last night," she amended cautiously, pleased when her roommate responded with the tiniest of smiles at that comment. "And I never enjoy seeing my friends sick."

Galinda murmured weakly in response. "Th-Thanks."

The witch grinned softly. "Feel well enough to get back in bed?"

When her roommate gave a faint nod, the sorceress started to help her to her feet, but Galinda pushed her away gently, not wanting to feel helpless. She'd done this many times before; she didn't need Elphaba to baby her. It was her own stupidity that had caused her to feel this way, and she would have to persevere and get over it; by herself. She groaned as she shuffled across the hardwood floor, one hand stretched out for balance while the other clutched pitifully at her head. A litany of never again rattled around in her head as she flopped back down on the bed and rolled on her stomach, burying her head under her puffiest pillow to try and block out the intense sunlight.

"Oh no, Missy." Elphaba snatched the pillow away from her and shook her head sternly.

"Hey!" the blonde protested irritably, groping for the pillow. "Give it back!"

"Uh, uh. You've got to drink some water and take some aspirin. I don't want you to get dehydrated."

"Lemme 'lone," she grumbled.

"Come on, Glin," Elphaba took the two white pills from the nightstand and set them gently in her roommate's palm, "These should help with the headache," she coaxed gently, realizing hers had now diminished to no more than a small ache.

Galinda fumbled a bit before finally coordinating her hand to her mouth and dropping the pills in, obediently taking the cup of water that Elphaba handed her. Her hand shook a bit as she brought it to her mouth, but she managed about four good gulps without spilling too much. She handed her roommate back the now half-empty glass and puffed out air, "Now can I go back to sleep?"

"Yes," Elphaba agreed, "Now."

"Thank you." Elphaba resisted the urge to laugh as the blonde promptly flipped over, snatched her pillow back, and placed it determinedly over her head, hands holding tightly to the sides, as if she thought it might be taken again. Within minutes, she was snoring softly.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Galinda's eyes fluttered open. She blearily rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she struggled up into a sitting position. A dull ache thumped in her head and she pressed her hand to the back of her skull and whimpered pitifully.<p>

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Galinda looked over to seeher roommate smiling, slightly smugly, from over the spine of her latest book. "Or should I say, afternoon."

"Huh? Wha- What time is it?"

"About one o' clock."

"In the afternoon?" Galinda's head whipped around to look at her clock, but the fast movement made the room rock as if she were on a ship. She put her throbbing head between her knees and groaned. "Elphie? Why do I feel like this?"

The blonde opened her eyes for an instant and scowled when she heard her roommate let out a short snort of amusement, but immediately regretted doing so as the small gesture sent another sharp stab through her skull due to the bright light that lit the room.

"My best guess is it's probably because of those countless Osmopolitians you drank last night," she retorted meaningfully.

Galinda moaned. She bit her lip and looked up sheepishly, "I guess that was pretty stupid, huh?" she admitted, squeezing her eyes shut a little tighter and pressing her fingers deeply into her temples in an effort to try and relieve the pounding.

Elphaba let out a light, rueful laugh, "Well, it probably wasn't the best decision you ever made," the sorceress quipped with a small, smug smile.

Galinda's eyes narrowed, and she huffed crossing her arms and glancing challengingly at her roommate. "Yeah, because you've never done anything you regret, right, Miss. Commotion?" she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Ordinarily, such a joke would have stung, but Elphaba could see from the red rims around Galinda's eyes and the way she was cradling her aching head that she was just lashing out because she didn't feel well, and even if that wasn't it, the green girl could tell from her light-hearted tone that she hadn't meant in the mean, snarkily taunting way she might have a few days ago, but rather as a harmless joke. That was still so strange; to think that Galinda's life long goal was no longer to humiliate the "artichoke" as the popular blonde's bimbo friends called her. She did her best to shrug off the jab.

"Okay, point taken." she relented. "But seriously, Glin, let's lay off the drinking for a bit, ok?"

"Oh, believe me, I will!" she agreed quickly. Then she smiled and slowly shook her head, bundle of bedheaded curls swinging back and forth and tapping her cheeks. "I swear, I think those things were drugged or something. I had the weirdest dream. I hooked up with Fiyero, and I thought I was pregnant!" she squealed, laughing that the ridiculousness of the thought. Elphaba's face paled and she tightly clasping her hands together and twisting them in discomfort. "I mean, I know he's my boyfriend and all, but still, isn't that just too much?" She giggled and looked expectantly at her roommate. The smile slipped from her face when she noticed her friends stiff posture and wide eyes. "Elphie? Are you ok? You look a little...less green than usual."

The sorceress gulped and tried her best to school her features into a calm mask. This was the moment she'd been dreading. There was no telling how her friend was going to take this, and she would be as nice as she possibly could, but she hoped she didn't have to spell it out for her, because that, she had no idea how to do. "Glin? What do you remember about last night?" she queried hesitantly.

The blonde scrunched her brows in confusion. Well, that's an odd question, she thought. "We...went to the Ozdust...I was dancing around with Fiyero... Madam Morrible came in and told me she was accepting me into her sorcery class...and then you showed up and… Elphie, why am I telling you all this? Did that one drink really blur your memories that badly? I mean, I know I was pretty bad this morning- Thanks, by the way, for taking care of me- but still…" Her eyes narrowed as she carefully watched her roommate, who was worrying her lip. She had a clump of dull, grey fabric clutched in her emerald fist and she wouldn't meet Galinda's eyes. "Elphaba," she chided, and the green girl winced at she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as her roommate's eyes bore into her. "What's going on? What are you not telling me?"

"You don't erm, remember anything...else?" she asked helplessly, still not looking up from her lap.

Galinda gave her a strange look. "I mean, I remember coming back to the room, and talking with you, and- Oh Shiz, Elphie, will you just tell me what this is about already? And why you look like a green ghost right now? What's wrong for Oz's sake?"

The sorceress sighed and finally locked eyes with her friend, hating that it had to come out like this. "Galinda, do you remember last night, when I was telling you how much I hated my skin because it made me a reject, and you told me it wasn't true?"

"Is that what this is about?" the blonde huffed, "Did something happen while I was asleep? Because if ShenShen or Pfanne did or said anything to you…" her eyes blazed and she fisted her hands at her sides. "I'll make them sorry," she hissed venomously, causing Elphaba to grin and chuckle breathily.

"No, they didn't do anything."

"Are you sure?" her roommate pestered again, "Because we're friends now, Elphie. I'll believe you if you say they-"

"Really, Glin, I'm fine." her friend insisted, "But do you remember what you told me…. after that?"

"I-" Galinda started, but now that she mentioned it, that part of the night was a bit fuzzy. "Not really." she confessed with a smile, guilty smile, and Elphaba flinched and gritted her teeth. "I guess I was a little more out of it then I thought," she admitted sheepishly. "Why?"

"Glin," she said, coming back over and sitting on the side of her rose comforter and trying to put the news as gently as she could, "Last night, you… You told me you had, er, gotten intimate, with Fiyero. You said… you said you were afraid you might be pregnant." Elphaba held her breath and watched her friend's face carefully, waiting to gauge her reaction.

Galinda laughed and waved her hand dismissively, Oh, Elphie, that drink really did a number on you, didn't it?" she giggled in amusement. "I've only known him for a month! Why in the world would I ever do that? I mean, I did, but that was only in my night-" Suddenly, her milky face paled to a ghostly white and her eyes turned to saucers.

"Glin-" Elphaba tried to keep her dramatic friend from having another meltdown. "It's gonna be-"

"Oh, Oz!" Galinda gasped, grabbing Elphaba's shoulders and shaking her, hands trembling. "Th- that wasn't a dream? I really might be p- pr- pregnant?' she stuttered, and her roommate could see the panic welling up in her. "Oh, Elphie… what did I do?" she whimpered, burying her face in her hands and fighting to keep her breathing even.

"It's alright, Glin." her friend soothed, reaching around to rub soothing circles on the distressed girl's back. "Remember, we don't know for sure." She paused, unsure whether she should admit the next part just yet, but ultimately decided it was best to just tell her. "I- I was going to go with you to get a test today, and then-"

Galinda peeked out from behind her curtain of golden curls, her wide, watery, terrified eyes begging her roommate to take it all back, to tell her that she was just kidding and it was all a big joke to get back at her for acting like such a drunk earlier. But Elphaba just kept rubbing circles on her back. Her gaze was laced with entirely too much sympathy to believe she was saying anything but the truth.

"So, so this is... real? Or, it might be?" Galinda's lip trembled and her voice wobbled as she spoke, whispered, really.

Elphaba's heart went out to the girl, whose whole body was shaking now. She took her cold, clammy, pale hands in her own warm, emerald ones and forced their gazes to meet. "It might be," she said, "but whatever happens, you're not doing this on your own. You were there for me last night; you're one of the first people to ever stand up for me, actually." she blushed a bit, and Galinda offered a hesitant smile. "So now, it's my turn. However this turns out, I'll be there to support you, Okay?"

"O-Okay," the smaller girl answered shakily. "Th-Thanks El- Elphie."

"Of course." she smiled, squeezing the blonde's hand's once more before releasing them. "Now, why don't you go get cleaned up and we'll go from there? You'll feel better after a hot bath. And I know you'll want to get out of that dress."

Galinda looked down at her frilly gown from the night before, now wrinkled and mused from a night of tossing and turning and a day spent in bed. "Yes, I certainly don't want to get this any more ruined than it already is," she responded, slipping out of bed and paddling into the bathroom. "I won't be more than a few clock-ticks." she promised, but Elphie could see the worry seeping through the cracks in her suddenly positive facade.

Her roommate grinned softly, offering unsaid support with her warm gaze, "Take your time Glin. It's Saturday; no reason to hurry."

Galinda smiled a small, wane smile in thanks as she shut the door behind her.

* * *

><p>The bell above the door of the drugstore jingled much too cheerily as Elphaba and Galinda stepped through it. Or rather, as Elphaba did. Galinda stood frozen on the chilled sidewalk as a light fall breeze whipped her loose hair against her face. She was still as a statue, lips clamped together, staring at the storefront as if it were a foreign object.<p>

"Come on, Glin," Elphaba beckoned her inside. "I promise it won't be that bad; we just need to go in, buy the test, and then we'll head right back to our room." She held out her hand toward her friend. "I know you must be cold in that slip you're wearing," she said, nodding at the thin, blue frock she had thrown on on the way out the door. "The sooner you come in here, the sooner we can leave," she promised.

The blonde grasped her roommate's emerald hand, squeezing it so tight her knuckles went white, and stepped through the doorway, letting it swing closed behind her.

"Easy," the green girl winced, "You're cutting off my circulation."

Galinda immediately loosened her grip, "Sorry," she flushed furiously. "But…" she bit her lip and glanced around the store. "Elphie… I'm scared," she whispered, hanging her head.

"Hey," her roommate gently took hold of one of the shorter girl's hands, "There's nothing to be afraid of. We're just going shopping, you like shopping," she joked lightly, attempting to soothe the fear she could feel oozing from every one of her friend's pores.

Galinda looked up and cracked a small smile before glancing at the clerk in the back of the store, "But what if...what if she says something? When we buy...it? What if she thinks I'm a-"

"Shhh! Don't you dare finish that sentence Galinda Upland. She won't say anything, least of all that. They aren't allowed to make ignorant comments like that; if they did, they'd get fired."

The blonde looked a bit more hopeful are that. "Are you… are you sure?" she asked carefully.

Elphaba nodded firmly, "Positive." She gave her friend's clammy hand a reassuring squeeze, "Let's go."

They wandered into the appropriate aisle and Elphaba helped her pick out the right test. "They all work the same," she'd explained when Galinda asked whether they needed the twenty dollar one or the five dollar one. Then they walked toward the register.

"This it for you?" the clerk ask when Elphaba handed her the package.

Galinda opened her mouth, but nothing came out, so the green girl stepped in. "Yes, that's all, thank you," she replied sweetly.

The clerks eyes darted between the pair, her gaze drawn to their still intertwined hands. Galinda saw and immediately whisked her hand away, twining it with her own and twisting them around nervously. She and Elphie were just good friends, but she couldn't handle any astigmatisms right now. Elphaba noticed her friend's sudden discomfort as well as the way the clerk was eying them. She glowered at the girl, daring her to speak.

"Have a blessed day," was all she said, but it didn't take a wizard to sense the bite in her tone. Galinda ducked her head, clearly ashamed. The sorceress threw the clerk a death-glare so harsh it made her gulp audibly. Then the sorceress grabbed the bag off the counter and pointedly clasped her friend's hand in her own, whisking her out of the store.

"Are you ready?" Elphaba asked carefully; stretching her emerald hand out and offering up the the still sealed package once they were back in their room.

Galinda was shaking. She really didn't want to grasp that small, seemingly harmless, package. "No," she whispered. Her voice cracked and a few stray tears trickled down her ivory cheeks. She sniffed and furiously rubbed them away. "I'm being ridiculous. It's...it's just a test..." she desperately wanted to sound more confident, but the words came out in hushed, broken whispers as she brushed more tears from her face.

"Oh, Glin," her friend sympathized. On impulse, she gently put her arms around the smaller girl and drew her into a small hug.

Galinda sniffed into her shoulder. "Th-That girl, at the store...she, she called me a whore Elphie!" she said shakily.

"Galinda!" the green girl scolded, drawing her away from the slightly stiff embrace.

"Alright, so maybe not in so many words, but we both know she was thinking it," the blonde asserted. Then her shoulders slumped and she sighed. "Elphie...if… if this test is...affirmative… then, then that means she's right!

"Galinda Upland!" Elphaba admonished sharply. "No matter what is on that test, you are not, nor will you ever be, a whore. You're a kind, funny, smart girl who wanted to have a chance to make your own choices. Some of them might have been made too quickly, yes. But that does not make you a whore. It makes you human. Do you understand?"

Galinda nodded and the sorceress squeezed her shoulder.

"Whatever this says," she pressed the package into her friend's cold palm, "you won't bear the burden alone. I promised to be there for you, and I intend to keep that promise," she said firmly.

Slowly, Galinda nodded. She grasped the test in one shaking hand and made her way into the bathroom.

"I'll be here when you're done." Elphaba assured her once more.

Galinda smiled a watery smile and closed the bathroom door gently behind her.

* * *

><p>It seemed to take an eternity for Galinda to emerge. Elphaba had tried to sit back on her bed and continue her latest book, but the story no longer held her interest. She paced impatiently back and forth in front of the door, but finally it swung open. Galinda slipped out, her feet now bare of the flip flops she'd worn a few minutes before. She held the test in her right hand, resting it against her chest.<p>

"Well?" the green girl asked, leaping up of off the spot she'd taken to occupying on her roommates bed.

"I-I haven't looked yet." Galinda explained, "I- I wanted to do it with you. She looked down sheepishly and hesitantly asked, "Is- Is that ok?" She looked up to see her emerald roommate smiling gently, understanding gleaming in her eyes.

"Of course," she answered sweetly, patting the spot next to her. "Come sit."

Galinda let out a huge sigh of relief, glad she didn't have to do this alone. She sat down daintily on her bed, feeling Elphaba inch closer to her so she could see as the blonde closed her eyes and pulled the strip away from her chest.

* * *

><p><strong> If you kill me, you won't know what happens! Also, I started a Facebook group for all Wicked Lovers who readwrite fanfiction! It's just starting out, but I'd love to be able to chat about ideas with all my fellow Wicked Lovers! Link on my profile!**


	3. Falling to Pieces

**A/N: Wow, two updates in two days! I think that's a personal best for me, haha. Be warned, I will ABSOLUTELY work as hard as I can to get the next chapter to you all as quickly as humanly possible, but I am at college, so during the week, I'm usually extremely busy. That said, my goal is to have the fourth chap done by next Sunday, so you won't have to wait too long.**

**P.S. the first person to spot the Miami Medical reference in here, I'll write a short Miami Medical or Wicked one-shot for you using a prompt of your choosing!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical! **

**3**

**Falling to Pieces**

Galinda's blood ran cold. Her heart stopped for a fraction of a second and her clammy hands grew numb. Thoughts flooded her mind, and yet they didn't. She felt everything and nothing. It was all so overwhelming she wanted to scream.

But she couldn't.

It was like she wasn't really there, and only her body was tethered to the bed. Unable to move, to speak, to think. Her mind was a jumbled mess of tangled realizations. She didn't know what was real and what was in her head. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but as much as she wanted to say something, she couldn't form any words. Time itself seemed to stop. All she could see was the wet strip of paper clutched in her shaking hand. The rest of the world had faded away.

Two pink lines. They stared up at her, mocking her with their bright, cheery color.

There was no denying it now. This was real. She was pregnant.

Elphaba watched anxiously as her roommate drew the soggy strip away from her. Helplessly, she winced as she felt the blonde's back straighten. She sat still as a statue, holding the flimsy paper so tight her knuckles went white. Elphaba squeezed her shoulder, and the blood drained from her face when she noticed how cold and sweaty the blonde's skin was all of a sudden. She couldn't see the test results, but she didn't have to. Her friend's reaction was clearer than any strip of paper could show.

"Ga- Galinda?" she called, slightly alarmed when the blonde made no attempt to move. Biting down hard on her inner cheek, the green girl grasped her roommate's free, shockingly cold, pale hand between her own, making soothing circles about the back of it with her thumb. "Glin?" she whispered tenderly, "Galinda, look at me, please." she begged. Still, the blonde didn't move. Elphaba worried her lip; completely and utterly at a loss for what she was supposed to say or do. So, rather than say anything, she simply sat there, wrapping Galinda's, limp, unmoving fingers in her own, and waiting desperately for her to respond somehow.

Galinda could hear the worry in her emerald friend's voice as she pleaded for her to met her eyes, but it sounded faint and far away. She knew Elphaba was next her. She had felt her warm, comforting grip as she grasped Galinda's tense, frozen hand in her own, but her words seemed to be coming from miles away. Wordlessly, the blonde offered the strip to her roommate. She felt it slip out of her hand, but the witch made no attempt to look at the paper. Instead, without her gaze or her hand ever leaving Galinda, she tossed the sodden test in the trash that she'd left by the blonde's bed when she'd taken care of the blonde after her hangover earlier that day.

"Glin?"

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, not quite able to believe it. "I'm pregnant," she repeated. But still, she was unable to grasp the monumental concept.

Elphaba cringed at how hollow her voice sounded. Emotionless, but raw and exposed all at once. The green girl tried to lay her other hand on the blonde's trembling arm, but she wrenched her hands away.

"Don't touch me, dammit!" Galinda snapped to life, her gaze blazing with anger.

Elphaba gasped at the sudden bite in her tone. She knew her friend was just lashing out from shock, but nonetheless, the words felt no better than a slap in the face. "O- Okay-" she relented. releasing her hands and scooting a little farther away from her on the bed. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to-"

It wasn't hard to catch the obvious hurt in the green girl's tone, nor in her expressive eyes, but right then Galinda couldn't care less. For an instant, all she saw was a flash of red. She snatched the picture of the Vinkus prince that was perched on her nightstand next to her bed. "Ozdammit Fiyero!" she seethed, "You did this!"

In a fury, she flung the picture across the room. Elphaba sucked in her breath and ducked as the frame flew past her, just barely missing her forehead before it slammed into the mirror with a shattering crash. The picture frame clattered to lay face down on the chest of drawers. Glass shards were scattered about the frame and the floor, and their reflections in the mirror were now obscured by a series of cracks in the center of the mirror that stretched out to resemble a spider web.

"Glin-" Elphaba tried to interject, but the blonde was still lost in white hot rage.

"Arghhh!" she screamed, jerking her favorite pillow from its spot by the headboard and hurling it to the floor so it landed just at the foot of the green girl's bed.

"Galinda," the sorceress called sternly, "Glin, you need to-" Elphaba held up her hands in a surrendering-like gesture and attempted to reason with the raging blonde.

But Galinda's anger was too strong. She was furious at everyone. At Fiyero, for planting the stupid idea in her head in the first place, at herself for being idiotic enough to actually go through with it, at her parents whose life-long restrictive rules had drove her to feel like she needed to make such a reckless decision to prove to them, and to herself, that she was actually in control of her own life… even at the baby she was now carrying, though it really had done nothing except exist. Nostrils flaring and breathing heavy, she clenched and unclenched her fists and her sides, searching for anything else to throw. Elphaba's eyes widened as their gazes both locked on the blonde's blocky, black alarm clock. Standing up and jerking it off of her night stand, Galinda ripped the cord from the wall and moved to heave it away from her. Elphaba jumped to her feet and thrust her hands upward just as the clock became airborne.

"Galinda! STOP!" she yelled.

Everything froze. The clock hung in the air. Galinda's eyes were wide and slightly crazed. Her hair was a mess. Her face was flushed and beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. Her breathing came in panting gasps and for a minute, they both just stood there, blinking at one another, as if neither could comprehend exactly how all of that had happened in such quick succession. Keeping her eyes locked on her enraged roommate, Elphaba was the first to come out of the semi-trance. She gently used her magic to guide the hovering clock back to Galinda's night stand. It landed with a soft thud.

The witch sighed, glad to have avoided that potential disaster. Then she turned her gaze back to the blonde, who was still frozen in place. Her eyes filled with sympathy and she carefully stepped forward toward her friend, handling the situation the same way she would if she were approaching a frightened Animal cub. "Glin?" she asked softly.

She couldn't say why, but for some reason, that one word, just her name, filled with so much care and worry and understanding, that was what undid her. Before she knew what was happening, Galinda crumpled to the floor. She wrapped her arms about herself in a protective hug as her body shook with ugly, uncontrollable sobs. She buried her face in her hands. Her stomach tightened and her breathing was hitched, but she no longer had any control over her emotions, and for once, she didn't care.

When Elphaba saw her friend sink to the floor with pleading, desperate cries wracking her body in despair, she didn't even have to think about how to react. Quickly and confidently, she sank down next to her distraught roommate and gathered her small, quivering frame in her arms. Her hand carded the blonde's bouncy golden curls as she whispered comforting words and rocked her as she cried.

Galinda felt a pair of strong, secure arms wrap tightly around her, and she didn't have to think twice to know whose they were. She melted into Elphaba's embrace and buried her face in her emerald chest, barely caring about how weak and helpless she must look. She only concentrated on the green girl's soft voice and attempted soothing murmurs. She didn't know how long they sat there, huddled together as Elphaba stroked her hair and let her sob shamelessly into her shoulder.

She would never be able to thank her for this; to explain to her friend just how much it meant to her, knowing that there was at least one person with whom she could completely be herself. Yes, it had only been twenty four hours since she'd befriended the supposed witch, but already Elphaba knew more about her than any of her other so-called friends. Here she was, weeping hysterically, crumpled and broken on the floor of their dorm room, which not an hour ago she had nearly trashed, and yet, the green girl made no move to judge her. Any of her other friends would've surely scurried away. Even before she was...pregnant, they were intimidated by her sudden outbursts and fickle mood swings. They would be eager to spread the truth to all the biggest gossips; that Galinda Upland was not the composed, pristine heiress she wanted everyone to see, but rather just a sniveling slip of a girl who made as many mistakes as anyone else. But not Elphaba. Instead, she was offering comfort. She had seen Galinda for who she really was, and still she'd chosen to stay. That was a favor the blonde would never be able to repay.

Eventually, she calmed enough to make out that the green girl's seemingly nonsense murmurs were actually words of encouragement.

"It'll be ok, Glin." Elphaba tried her best to comfort the blonde the way her mother had done when she was young.

"N- No it won't." Her curls brushed lightly against the green girl's arms as she shook her head in despair. "I- I'm p- pre- pregnant, El- Elphie. My life is ov- over," she sobbed miserably.

"Shh, Glin. You're gonna be okay. What did I say earlier, hmm? I said we'd get through this, right?"

It took a minute, but eventually, Galinda nodded into the green girl's shoulder. "M-Mm hmm," she mumbled as her breathing became a little more steady.

"So that's exactly what we're going to do, alright?"

The blonde's harsh sobs had dissolved into leaky eyes and a few stray sniffles by then. She carefully lifted her head from the damp spot on Elphaba's shoulder. Her wide grey-blue eyes meet Elphaba's, gentle, chocolate brown ones. "How do you know that?" her voice trembled, and she waited expectantly for an answer. She said nothing more, but her eyes said everything. She was lost. She was hurting and confused. Her whole world had just crumbled. And it was Elphaba that she was looking to for reassurance.

The realization made the green girl pause, if only for an instant. The only other person who had looked at her in such a trusting, innocent manner was Nessa, back when she was too young to understand her older sister was different. Back when she was just Fabala, instead of the troublesome older sister with the strangely colored skin and haphazard magic abilities. That look, that trust in the blonde's fearful gaze, it scared Elphaba witless.

Last time, she had let her sister down. She hadn't been able to be the older sibling Nessa deserved, and she was terrified it might happen again. But looking down at her roommate's petite frame, thinking of all they'd been through in the past twenty four hours- Had it really only been one day? It felt like so much longer- Elphaba knew she couldn't, wouldn't let that happen again. She was determined to push her petty fears aside and be strong, if not for herself, then for Galinda. Her friend needed her, and she was determined to do the best she could for her.

"Because," she smiled a small smile and pulled Galinda in for a quick hug, "I made you a promise. And I always keep my promises."

Elphaba awkwardly wrapped her arms around her roomate as Galinda rested her head on her emerald friend's shoulder and let out a shaky sigh. It wasn't as though she hadn't believed Elphaba the numerous times she had reiterated those words in the past day, she could hear the honesty in her voice, there wasn't any doubt that she meant what she was saying. It was just… this was a completely new concept to Galinda, and she suspected, to Elphaba as well. This unconditional support. Friendship without a cost or any strings attached. It made them both uneasy, unsure.

For Galinda, it was because her whole life, she'd been forced to prove her worth. None of her friends, or even her family, aside from her parents, wanted to be around her unless she somehow proved to them that she was worth their time. There was always a stigma attached to her behavior. It was why she worked so hard to always be...perfect. Never a hair out of place, never a button undone, and above all, never an emotion unchecked. She always got what she wanted, and nothing was ever left to chance. Perfect boyfriend, perfect parents, perfect life. Or at least, thats what she wanted everyone to think. Elphaba was the first person who had seen through her facade, who knew she wasn't really all she claimed. At first, it had unnerved her, how easily the green girl could pierce what had once been an impenetrable bubble of bliss around her, but as she got to know her, she realized it was kind of refreshing, to not have to be one step ahead all the time. Still, this promise, friendship just for the sake of having a friend, it was so foreign. But it was also genuine. It was welcomed and warm and comforting. She only hoped it would last.

As for Elphaba, she was having the opposite problem. All her life she'd been taunted and teased for her green skin, ridiculed and laughed at whenever she tried to make a friend. On day, she'd had enough. If they world wanted to shut her out, well then she'd just do the same to them. Bit by bit, walls rose up around her heart. She learned to conceal her emotions, to never let anything get to her, or if it did, to never let them know. It would only give them another reason to scorn her. Galinda was the first person she had ever told about that green bottle, about her father, about blaming herself for Nessa's condition, about any of it. She still had no idea what made her do it. Up until last night, she had assumed Galinda to be just like all the other popular girls she'd came across in the past 20 years of her life. Rich, spoiled, cruel, merciless. At first, she had filled that role quite well. She was everything Elphaba expected her to be… until she wasn't. When Galinda had confessed her fears the night of the the Ozdust, Elphaba realized for the first time that maybe the world judge her to be a scornful, unapproachable which not only because she was green, but because she acted like. She froze out anyone who attempted to get close to her, jumping to conclusions that they only intended to hurt her, like so many had been, before she even gave them a chance. It was Galinda that made her realize that everyone else was doing to her was nothing more then what she had done to them. Well, now she was determined to change that. She would try to be a better friend, an actual person, rather than a self proclaimed commotion. And she would start with Galinda.

* * *

><p>The rest of the weekend and into the next week, Galinda stayed in their dorm. Elphaba knew it was because she couldn't stand the thought of facing her "friends" let alone the entire student body, after all she had been through these past few days. Frankly, the green girl couldn't blame her. She'd gotten used to the hushed whispers and not-so discrete pointing a long time ago, but even she still had a hard time going to class some days. It was impossible to imagine what it would be like for the bubbly blonde. Elphaba suspected she hadn't quite processed what all she would have to endure these next few months at the mercy of her peers, especially when she started to show. They'd both agreed to keep the pregnancy a secret for as long as possible, if only so the blonde had time to consider her options and figure out what she was going to do. But Elphaba worried how long this would last. News traveled fast around Shiz, especially when it concerned the most popular girl in school.<p>

Elphaba managed to avoid her sister and most of the students save Callie when she made her way to the coffee shop for the third time that Wednesday morning. Galinda's sense of smell had become increasingly acute over the past few days, and she was constantly feeling full and bloated. She still didn't want to leave the room, and about all she could stomach right now was fruit. Elphaba was helping her keep up with her classes, taking detailed notes and bringing her any written assignments, which she would do in the few hours when she wasn't asleep or expelling her insides in the bathroom. The sickness was the worst in the wee hours of the morning. Numerous times the green girl had awoken to the horrible sound of her roommate's body rejecting what little food she'd gotten her to eat. She'd done her best to help, but her worry for the blonde only increased upon seeing Galinda so sick. Elphaba didn't know much about pregnancies, but she almost couldn't wait for the crazy cravings to start. At least then her friend would be able to -hopefully- keep some kind of substantial nutrition in her system.

Speaking of nutrition... the green girl knew she had to get Galinda to venture out of their room sooner or later, if only so they could go see a doctor and figure out the best way to take care of her and the baby. She chewed her lip nervously when she remembered the phone call she'd made to the OBGYN a week from Saturday morning. She'd explained their unique situation and the staff had been surprisingly accommodating. They'd set up an appointment with Dr. Zambrano. According to them, she was one of their best doctors on staff and the most accustomed to dealing with unexpected pregnancies. That had eased Elphaba's tangled nerves a bit, knowing that they were meeting with someone who could anticipate how Galinda mind react much better than she could. She felt horrible for going behind her friend's back like this, but she could see Galinda was in no emotional state to handle such a thing right now, and from what she had said, Elphaba guessed she was at least a month along, and she understood enough to know the sooner they saw the doctor, the better it would be for both Galinda and the baby. Still, the thought of lying to her friend, even though it was for her own good, made the emerald girl's stomach twist in knots.

Sighing, she pushed the door to the coffee shop open and walked up to the counter. She had about an hour before her next class, and she decided to try and coax Galinda into eating something other than fruit for once. "Two poppy seed muffins please," she requested. It wasn't the healthiest choice, but they were one of Galinda's favorites, and Elphaba hoped they would sustain her for a little longer than just a simple cup of fruit.

"Elphaba?" Callie smirked from behind the counter as she took the green girl's ID and handed her the pastry. "Hungry already?" Weren't you just here? What'd you do, feed that fruit to a stray Animal on your way back from Ozonomics?" she joked.

"Hey Cal," the sorceress tried to smile, mentally kicking herself for being so obvious. "No, I'm not. These are-"

"Let me guess, they're for Galinda right?" she scoffed.

Elphaba scowled. She had told her friend how she and Galinda had become closer over the past few days, but the sSirenness was still highly suspicious. Every time Elphaba tried to convince her that Galinda's actions at the Ozdust had been sincere, Callie grew very quiet, her eyes shooting dangers in the witch's back. When the green girl tried to ask, for the umpteenth time, why the she was suddenly so against the two of them being friends, Callie would chalk it up to just being worried for her, as if she were convinced that the bubbly blonde was somehow up to no good. Elphaba saw straight through that excuse, and it was shocking to realize that the other girl might actually be… jealous of her new friendship. The witch tried to reassure Callie that Galinda was in no way going to replace her, nor they bond they had built over their magical abilities, but her friend would shut out any attempt she made. It was as if she was determined to see Galinda only as the spoiled, pretentious airhead they had assumed her to be upon their arrival at Shiz. Elphaba hoped that sometime soon, Galinda and Callie could formally meet and clear the air. She was really starting to like Galinda, now that she was getting to know the real girl behind her glittery mask, but she would hate it if Callie started to resent her because she was making a new friend. For now though, that would have to wait. She had forty five minutes to race back to her dorms and get some food in her roommate before she had to be on the other side of campus for history with her favorite professor, a Goat by the name of Doctor Dillamond.

Turning back to the counter, Elphaba said, "Yes, as a matter of fact, they are. She's, um, been a bit under the weather this week. I thought these might help.

"Yeah, right." Callie rolled her eyes and handed the witch back her ID. "Have fun with your new friend, Elphie."

Elphaba cringed when she heard the barista spit her roommate's nickname for her. She was actually becoming rather fond of it, and she didn't appreciate it being used in that tone. Without another word, Elphaba turned and stalked out of the coffee shop.

* * *

><p>"Glin?" the green girl peaked around the cracked open as she inched the dorm room door. The blonde was sitting on her bed, papers spread out around her, Math book opened in her lap. She looked to be concentrating pretty hard on whatever it was she was working on, because her brows were knit together and she was chewing determinedly on the eraser end of her pencil, a habit she'd recently picked up from Elphaba. She glanced upward at the sound of her name, and her grey-blue eyes lit up at the site of her emerald roommate.<p>

"Elphie!" she squealed, slamming the book closed and tossing it aside. She tried to stand up, but she moved too quickly and a sudden dizzy spell made her have to sit down. Elphaba laughed and sat down next to her in the middle of the papers.

"Hey," she smiled, drawing the small plastic bag from where she had hidden it behind her back and held it up for her friend to see. "I brought you something."

"Oh Elphie! You remembered!" She grabbed for the bag, beaming. But as she opened it and the scent wafted up her nose, she frowned and put her hand to her still flat stomach, turning slightly green. She sighed and handed the bag back to the green girl, looking at it longingly. I'm sorry," she apologized regretfully, "That was really sweet of you but…" her eyes drifted to her abdomen. I'm just not feeling all that well right now."

The witch simply smiled in understanding. "It's alright Glin, I'll just leave them on the dresser and you can have them later if you want."

"Ok. Thanks, Elphie, for doing all this, I mean."

Elphaba shrugged, "What are friend's for?" she asked, and Galinda grinned. "So," she asked with a small smirk, "How comes the homework?"

"Ughh!" the blonde groaned. "There's so much! And half of it doesn't make any sense. It almost makes me wish I was back in class. Maybe then I wouldn't be so confusified."

Elphaba coughed. "Speaking of that-" she started, but her roommate silenced her with a deadly glare.

"I said almost, Elphie," she hissed. But then she looked down, fiddling with her hand and worrying her lip. She picked up on of the sheets of problems, pretending to be intently focused on solving the next equation.

"Glin," the green girl sighed and took her friend's free hand. "i know how you feel, but it's Wednesday. You've been cooped up in here for almost a week should-"

Glinda's eyes hardened and Elphaba felt the hand under hers clench into a fist. "So what?" I bet no one even notices I'm gone," she snarked. Her eyes were still trained on the paper.

"Not yet," her friend said, "but sooner or later, you know they will. I promised to have lunch with Nessa and Boq today. I know they're curious where you've gone."

Galinda sighed and blinked back the stinging sensation in her eyes. Stupid hormones she fumed. "Elphie…" she whispered. "I just… I don't want to face them. Pfanne, ShenShen, Fiyero… Oh, Oz, Fiyero." Her fists clenched a little tighter. "How can I? What do I say when they ask where I've been? I can't just go out there and pretend everything is normal again, not after..."

"Glin-" the green girl started, but the blonde held up her hand to cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Elphie, but I just can't." she said firmly.

"Galinda." Elphaba puffed out a cloud of air in frustration. "Galinda, look at me." she ordered sternly. The blonde winced at the fierceness in her friend's voice, but reluctantly obeyed.

"Good." the sorceress nodded when her roommate's eyes meet hers. "Now I want you to listen very, very closely to what I'm about to tell you, ok? Are you listening?"

Galinda nodded.

"I'm green." Elphaba stated bluntly.

Galinda sighed, thinking they were about to have the same old argument all over again. "Elpha-"

"No." the sorceress stopped her mid word. Then she squeezed the blonde's hand and smiled before starting over. "I'm green and I have magic. I was born green and I was born with magic. I will die green and, Oz willing, I will die with my magic intact. I'm different, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it."

Galinda wanted to protest, but she thought the better of it and kept her mouth shut.

"But you know what?" she asked. "Even if I could change the color of my skin, if I could make myself look "normal", I don't think I would do it."

She watched as Galinda's eyes widened in slight shock and her brows furrowed together. "Why not?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice. If she'd been born like Elphaba, she was pretty sure she'd try everything in her power to look just like everyone else. She knew she would give anything not to be pregnant right, and it hadn't even been a week since she found out. She couldn't even fathom what her friend's life must be like. And yet, Elphaba had just said she wanted to keep the thing that Galinda knew for a fact she hated the most about herself. The blonde just couldn't comprehend that. She waited anxiously for an answer.

The green girl smiled; this was just what she was hoping her friend would say. "Because, as hard as it may make my life sometimes, I'm grateful for it. Being different has made me a better person. It's taught me to see who people are on the inside rather than the outside. I mean, look at us. When I first saw you, I thought you were the most spoiled little rich girl I'd ever met!" She laughed and nudged her friend's shoulder.

Galinda giggled, "And I didn't what to think of you," she laughed. "I mean, you're green for Oz's sake!"

Elphaba playful rolled her eyes. "Exactly. But now, we're getting to know each other, and I know it's only been a few days but..." Suddenly, Elphaba flushed, feeling strangely sigh, "You're one of the only real friends I've ever had." She nervously chanced a glance back at the blonde, surprised to find her beaming.

"Oh, Elphie…" she whispered. The paper she was holding fluttered back to it's place on the comforter as she put on hand over her heart. "I've had so many friends…" she replied. trying to joke. But when she noticed the emerald girl's face fall a bit, she quickly grasped her hand and finished sincerely, "But lately, you're the only one that matters."

Elphaba's eyes widened in surprise at the earnest sentiment and her cheeks burned. "Th- Thank you." she whispered, clearly caught off guard.

"I mean it, Elphie." the blonde smiled genuinely; the first real smile Elphaba had seen since she'd taken that pregnancy test five days ago. "But I still don't see-"

Elphaba suddenly remembered she was supposed to be giving her friend an encouraging speech. She cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter. "What I mean to say is, that baby? It's like my skin, only different. It's just another part of you. For now. Yes, dealing with the looks and stares is going to be hard, and I won't judge you, whatever you decide to do with it, but no matter what, you can't stop living because of it. You can't just hide away in here and hope all your problems will go away, because eventually, you'll have to face them, Glin. And staying here? That will only make it harder when you do.

Galinda's gaze sobered and she bit her lip, glancing back down at her lap. "I- I know." she whispered hoarsely. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold. "But I'm not...I'm not strong like you are, Elphie. I'm not ready to… to deal with it yet.

Elphaba squeezed her shoulder in comfort. "But you are strong. You just don't know it."

Galinda offered her a tentative grin in response.

Elphaba glanced at the clock and reluctantly started to stand up. "I'm sorry Glin, I gotta go; History."

The blonde sighed and went to straighten her papers so she could continue working. Elphaba smiled reluctantly.

Just before she left, she turned around and said gently, "I'm not asking you to be ready right now, or tomorrow, or even next week. I'll be right there to support you, but this is your decision, not mine.

Galinda sighed and chewed her lip. "Elphie…" she pleaded. The witch smiled in understanding.

"I know. Just think about what I said, okay?"

Her roommate's vulnerable gaze locked with her own. She said nothing for a minute, lost in thought. But finally she whispered something, so softly the witch had to strain her hear it. "Okay."

Elphaba grinned softly. "Good. I'll see you after class." And with that, she swept out of the room, leaving Galinda to ponder her words as the door clicked softly closed behind her.

** Hope you enjoyed, love to hear your thoughts! Also, I started a Facebook group for all Wicked Lovers who read/write fanfiction! It's just starting out, but I'd love to be able to chat about ideas with all my fellow Wicked Lovers! Link on my profile!**


	4. I'm Not Blind Anymore

**A/N: Well, I kept my promise lovelies! Here's chap 4! Enjoy! Next chap should be up in a week or so. To tap-Violeta, who found the Miami Medical reference, I'm working on your o/s so worry not!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical!**

**4**

**I'm Not Blind Anymore**

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Elphaba asked for what her roommate was almost positive was the fifteenth time that morning. "Because you don't have to, you know. I know I said the other day that you couldn't hide away in here forever, and I stand by that, but you don't have to just… jump in like this, if you don't want to." Her voice rose an octave, becoming higher than usual and her breath sounded slightly labored, the way it did when she was trying to apologize for something she'd done wrong, like embarrassing her sister or letting her emotions wrench her powers out of control.

It was eight thirty that Friday morning and the green girl stood behind her bubbly blonde friend as she checked her outfit in the now repaired (courtesy of Elphaba's magic) mirror on top of their dresser. On Wednesday, she had had a long talk with Galinda about the fact that, while she could completely understand her friend's anxiety about facing her classmates after what she'd just found out, it wasn't healthy for her to stay cooped up in their room and hope that somehow her problems would disappear. But honestly the green girl didn't know whether their talk had swayed her friend's resolve very much, if at all. On Thursday, Galinda had chosen to stay in their room once again, and Elphaba hadn't objected, not expecting her words to take hold right away. After all, she had been born green and lived with her differences her whole life. Yet, there were some day even she, with her hardened exterior and concrete resolve, wouldn't have refused the opportunity to hide away on her own with a pile of good books for a change, instead of having to put up with all the pointing and teasing and pitying looks that were aimed at her on a daily basis. She knew it wouldn't be easy for Galinda to endure the jeering and name-calling that Elphaba was sure she would come up against the minute anyone, especially her so-called popular "friends" ShenShen and Pfanne, found out about her secret. So she was beyond bewildered to open her eyes that morning and see the bouncy blonde already up and preparing for the day.

There were dark circles under her eyes, as she had been up in the wee hours of the night sick to her stomach. Elphaba wished she could make the nausea stop, for her friend's sake as well as her own. Neither of them had gotten a solid night of sleep since Galinda's symptoms started to become more frequent- they had actually been there for a week or two before she took the test, but significantly less so, and now they were much more noticeable because the girls recognized them for what they were. Despite her tiredness though, Galinda seemed to have had a change of heart, quite literally, over night. When Elphaba had gone into the bathroom that morning, she found the blonde, with her makeup spread all about the counter, patting on a heavy layer of concealer over her fatigue-ridden eyes. She'd tried to look chipper, even when the green girl noticed her hands shaking as she applied mascara.

"What are you doing?" she'd asked, thoroughly confused as to why her roommate would be up so early when she hadn't been all week.

Galinda had smiled toward the girl's emerald reflection before gently setting the makeup brush down and turning to face her, resting her hands on the edge of the counter behind her and grinning softly. "I thought about what you said, Elphie," she'd explained with a small but grateful sigh, "And I think you're right."

"I-" Elphaba hadn't been able to finish that thought, shocked by the fact that Galinda Upland was actually admitting she was wrong about something. "E-excuse me?" she finally stuttered. Her mouth had hung open and her sable eyes were wide. "W-what do you mean?" she'd asked, still unable to fully process this situation. "Right about what?"

Her roommate had rolled her eyes and let out a light giggle, "Oh, Come on, Elphie, don't look so confusified," she'd chided, somewhat playfully with a tinge of seriousness to her voice.

Elphaba had just stood there, looking at her blankly. "I'm sorry, Glin, but I really don't…" She'd shook her head in utter misunderstanding.

The blonde had sighed, "I mean, Elphie, that I thought about what you said, about hiding in here not making any of this any easier? And you're right. I'll have to leave sometime, so why not now?" She'd shrugged in what Elphaba knew was supposed to resemble a nonchalant manner, but only succeeding in looking like a half hearted attempt to reassure herself that she really could do this and that she didn't want to chicken out and climb straight back under her warm, cozy pink comforter that had been her sanctuary for the past week.

The green girl had sucked in her breath, hoping she hadn't inherently forced her friend into doing something she wasn't ready for simply so she could "prove" that she was strong enough to handle it. "Glin..." She had reached out and moved to hesitantly rest her emerald hand on the other girl's shoulder and forced their gazes to lock. "Galinda," she repeated, her tone gentle and firm, "I don't want to you to think I'm making you do anything just because-"

The blonde offered a soft smile and held up her hand to cut Elphaba off. "I know you're not, Elphie. I never said you were. I'm doing this for me," she smiled and affectionately squeezed her roommate's hand. "Trust me," she'd implored, and the green girl could tell almost instantly how hard she was trying to keep the fear from her gaze.

As uneasy as Elphaba had been to except her friend's plea she'd done it. But now, watching the blonde as she straightened her pale pink cardigan and smoothed her pumpkin colored skirt for "just one last time," the green girl wondered whether this was such a good idea. She knew it often took Galinda a long time to get ready in the morning, just to make sure she looked "perfect," but today was different. For one, she had actually asked for help picking out her outfit. At first, Elphaba was sure she'd heard wrong, however the sincerity in her blonde friend's gaze had been unmistakable, That had been Elphaba's first clue just how scared she was.

"But, Glin," she'd protested, "You're the fashionable one here, not me."

"Elphie," her roommate had whined, "I don't want to look 'fashionable' today. I just want to be...comfortable."

Elphaba had resisted the urge to gasp out loud at that. Galinda not wanting to dress her best? Uh oh, she'd thought. This is going to be a really long day.

Having no other option, Elphaba had rummaged through her roommate's extensive wardrobe of endlessly fancy dresses and outfits, digging all the way to the back before she finally found a simple cotton dress that had an orange scooped neckline and a short sleeved pink dipped down loosely around the waist, the pumkin colored skirt flaring around her knees. Elphaba kept digging and found some pale pink tights and a cropped knitted cardigan of the same shade to pair with it and keep out the brisk late September air. It would be October in a few days, and the winds were starting to pick up, rustling the colorful fall leaves on the abundant oak trees around campus. She also grabbed a pair of burnt orange flats.

"Wow, Elphie!" Galinda had been pleasantly surprised when her friend presented her with the outfit. "It's so...cute. Who knew you had a fashion sense?"

Elphaba had smirked. "Contrary to popular belief, Glin I do actually have some appreciation for clothes. But when you're born green," she'd shrugged, "Not much looks good on me except black."

"Nonsense," Galinda had giggled and swiped her favorite pink flower hairclip of the top of the dresser, tucking it in the left side of her roommate's ebony locks and pulling back her bangs before handing her a small silver mirror. "See?" she'd insisted, "Pink goes good with green."

Elphaba had snorted and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right." She took the hairpiece out and handed it back to the blonde. "You better get dressed. We're gonna be late."

Galinda had given an exaggerated pout and reluctantly grasped the beret."One of these days, Elphaba Thropp, I will convince you how beautiful you are, green skin and all," she'd vowed as she floated back into the bathroom.

Elphaba had said nothing. .

Now, seeing Galinda fiddle with her clothes, her emerald roommate realized that this time, it wasn't about wanting to look perfect; it was about wanting to look normal. Her stomach was still as flat today as it had been when she first arrived at Shiz, but Elphaba knew her secret was weighing on her like an anvil and that though she was no where close to showing, she was terrified someone might guess her secret. "Really, Glin," she reiterated, "You don't have to-"

"Elphie!" she huffed a bit irritably. "I told you, I'm doing this for me."

"Galinda, you don't need to-"

The blonde sighed and whirled away from the mirror. "I know you're trying to help," she said, "And I appreciate it. Really, I do. But you're advise the other day, that's what we need to stick to. I know me. If I let myself stay in here any longer, I'll never want to leave. I'll fail all my classes and I won't know what to do anymore. I have to do this, Elphie." She bit her lip and pleaded for her friend to understand. "It's now or never."

Elphaba smiled softly and grasped her friend's hand. "Ok. Then let's do this. Together."

* * *

><p>The minute they stepped out of the dorm, Elphaba noticed her friend stiffen. Her shoulders became tense, the hand that was tucked in Elphaba's relaxed green palm became frigid and moist, and she squeezed her fingers so tight that the sorceress could only grunt in response to the pain. She had a hunch she knew what was running through the blonde's head. Elphaba hid a cringe at Galinda's reaction to being outside the safety of their dorm for the first time in seven days. Even though she had expected something like this and knew the feeling well herself, it pained Elphaba to see her friend, who was usually a social butterfly, suddenly so apprehensive and jitterish around people. And what was worse, they weren't even out of the building yet. Hardly anyone was walking the halls this early- which was exactly why Elphaba had chosen the class times she had- and with every step they took, Galinda was still looking over her shoulder. As if, at any moment, she was afraid someone might attack her. As if, in the millisecond it took for them to turn the next corner or round the next bend, someone would figure out her secret and expose her to the whole school. Elphaba chewed her lip and attempted to give her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze, but inside she was worried. If Galinda was this apprehensive now, with only a few people around, how in Oz did she think she was going to make it through an entire day on a campus with thousands of students, most of whom knew her personally, or at the very least had heard of her family name? Elphaba glanced over at the jumpy blonde, suddenly wondering if it had been a wise idea to go along with her plan.<p>

"Glin?" she called softly as they wandered through the halls and into the lobby of their dorm, "Are you alright?"

Galinda felt like she was living in a fish bowl. Her hair pricked up on the back of her neck and everywhere she looked, she could swear she was being watched. And not in the usual adoring way either, but in the creepy, stalkerish, I-know-you're-hiding-something-and-I'm-determined-to-figure-out-what, kind of way. She didn't answer right away, mostly because she didn't know the answer. This was so strange. She'd never experienced anything like it before. Eyes had been trained on her all her life, and she'd never thought anything of it. Now, every time she felt someone looking at her, she had to resist the incredible urge to run away and hide, petrified of what they would think when they found out what she'd done. It was such a foreign feeling to her, and she honestly didn't have a clue how to handle it.

Ever since she was young, her mother had taught her that attention was a good thing; that her goal should always be to be her best, that she should want people to admire her for who she was, for living a life of glamour and having things others didn't. That, according to her mother, was the best way to be happy. To rise above everything and everyone until she got where she wanted to go. It was only now that she realized how long she'd been living in a blissful bubble of blindness. She'd always cared what people thought, but she'd also always assumed they could never think anything bad about her. She worked too hard to be the perfect daughter. Only when she finally had something to hide did she realize how intimidating the world was to most people. She'd always loved to socialize, but she'd never felt the need to actually connect with anyone before. If one of her friends ever left her, there was always a line of people waiting to take her place, begging to be brought in to the secret, flawless world of Galinda Upland. It had never bothered her before, and she'd never thought much of the fact that her friends were always changing. Back then she'd been too shallow, too blind to care who was around her as long as someone was. But now, she was awake. She was terrified of what would happen if anyone found out she was pregnant. Would she be left alone? Would she be shunned? What would Pfanne and ShenShen think of her? Would they even want to associate with her anymore? Was this what Elphaba constantly went through? Was this why she had built walls so high around herself? Because if she never let anyone in, she would never have to worry about being hurt?

It was all too much to process. Galinda's breathing became slightly rapid and the room started to spin. If Elphaba hadn't been holding on to her, she might have collapsed then and there. She felt herself being led back down the hall the way they'd came. She turned her key and opened the door back to their dorm, guiding Galinda back to her bed, which she sank down on gratefully. She took the cup of ice water Elphaba handed her and drank thirstily, unsure exactly what had just occurred. Gradually, her breathing evened out and things came back into focus.

Elphaba had watched in horror as her friend's knees begin to buckle in the middle of the hallway. Her breathing was jagged and heavy and her eyes were wide and fearful. She looked at Elphaba as if she was seeing right through her. Immediately, the green girl had taken her arm and led her back to their room and given her some water, relieved when the color started to come back to her face and she began to breathe normally again. Elphaba hadn't a clue what had just happened, but she was still shaking from seeing her friend soo disoriented and unresponsive, if only for a few minutes.

"Better?" she asked carefully as she lowered herself down onto the bed next to her friend.

Galinda's brows furrowed and she glanced at the green girl. "I- I think so. What… What happened?"

"You almost fainted, Glin." Elphaba lamented, and the blonde winced at the fear in her voice. "You were mumbling nonsense and nearly collapsed. You- you didn't even know who I was for a minute. If I hadn't caught you…" She shook her head. "You really scared me Galinda," she admitted quietly.

The blonde bit her lip and fiddled with her hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Elphaba smiled softly, "I'm just glad you're ok. What happened?"

Galinda closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth, blonde curls swinging. "I- I really don't know." she sighed. "I just… We walked out there and all of a sudden... I don't know, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. That somehow, even though I'm no where near showing, someone knew. And that scared me, Elphie, more than I ever thought it would." She locked eyes with the sorceresses sable orbs. "It felt like… like I was on display. Like everyone was just waiting for me to trip and fall so they could run off and tell their friends…" When Elphaba was quiet, Galinda looked down, "I guess that sounds pretty stupid, huh?" she whispered, suddenly ashamed.

Elphaba's ears were ringing. She had expected something like this, but it was eerie how similar Galinda's explanations were to her own experiences when she was young. "No, Glin." She jumped to reassure her. "It's not stupid at all. In fact, I know exactly what you mean."

Galinda's head snapped up, "Then how do you deal with it?" she asked desperately. She knew she had to leave this room at some point, but the thought terrified her to no end. She had no idea how Elphaba had done this all her life. How did she ignore all the looks? The stares and the whispers, the creepy feeling that someone was always out to get her?

Elphaba laughed lightly. "It took a long time, Glin. At first, I was just like you. I didn't want to go anywhere. I just wanted to curl up under my covers and never leave."

"You- You did?" Galinda didn't know why she was shocked, but Elphaba had always seemed so strong. It was odd to think that at some point, she'd been just as afraid as Galinda was now.

"I did." she affirmed. She paused and they said in comfortable silence before Elphaba confessed, "You know, I didn't always know I was green." The way her friend's eyes widened as her nose wrinkled and her brows scrunched together in complete and utter confusion was enough to make Elphaba let loose with a short, but sincere and genuine belly laugh.

Galinda cracked a cheeky smile. "I'm sorry, Elphie, but um, how could you not…?

"Let me rephrase that," she clarified with an amused chuckle. "I always knew I was different, but I didn't know that would ever be considered a bad thing… not at first, anyway. No one at home made fun of my skin, or at least, Nanny and Mother never did. I'm sure my father made some remarks here and there, but I never heard them."

"But…"

"The first time anyone ever made fun of me was when I went to kindergarten. When I walked into the classroom and the teacher asked us all to get up and introduce ourselves, I was one of the last ones. When she got to me, I could tell she didn't know what to think, but I thought it was just because I was the mayor's daughter and she was shocked that my parents had sent me to public school instead of getting a bunch of expensive tutors like most officials did for their kids."

Galinda smiled a bit sadly at the image of five year old Elphie jumping up to introduce herself, her eyes so full of light and curiosity to learn something new, the same way they were in their history class with the old Goat Dillamond. It pained her to think that smart, intuitive Elphaba had gone unnoticed simply because she didn't look like other kids. Galinda reached across the bed and grabbed her hand in a sudden urge to protect her like Elphaba was doing for her now.

Elphaba's cheeks warmed and she smiled widely at the gesture. "Anyway," she continued, "it wasn't until later, when I saw a group of kids on the playground whispering and giggling that I started to understand how people saw me. I went over and asked what was so funny, and this one girl, Courtney, I guess she was their leader or something, turned to her friends, who were snickering into their palms, and winked before turning back to me and saying 'You are- Artichoke!'"

Galinda winced at the hurtful nickname and tightened her grip on Elphaba, who grinned softly.

"At first, I didn't understand. What did I have to do with a vegetable?" she shrugged. "But the next few days, the joking got worse. People called me all kinds of things- spinach girl, broccoli brains, anything they could think of really. It wasn't until this one kid, Marky, asked if I'd eaten grass as a kid and that was why I was green, that I understood they were making fun of my skin. I called him a name back, and we got into a fight. The principle had to come break us up."

"Oh, Elphie…" Galinda didn't know what to say.

"It's alright, Glin," she insisted. "but after that, I didn't want to go to school at all. I faked sick for a whole week before Mom finally caught on and made me get out of the house."

"So… how do you deal with it?"

It was only then that Elphaba looked away. She felt a single, solitary tear trail down her cheek. Her mother would be so disappointed if she saw her now. If she saw how much her father and her sister's dislike of her had destroyed her. How little friends she had and, until Galinda and Callie, how much she'd closed herself off from the world, shutting anyone out who tried to get close. "How I deal with it is not the point." Her tone was clipped and harsh and Galinda's heart broke to feel her walls slowly climbing back into place.

"Elphie-" she tried to protest, but the green girl turned toward her and continued to talk as though she hadn't heard.

"The point, Glin, is that you don't let them get to you. People are going to think what they want, but the most important thing is you know the truth. You know who you are, and nothing they say can take that away."

Galinda studied her friend's face, not saying anything for a minute. Her eyes were intent on the blonde. She was trying to look fierce and in control, but Galinda could see the slight hint of panic and guilt in her gaze, as if she knew she wasn't taking the advice she was giving and was praying the other girl wouldn't notice. Galinda did notice. She had half a mind to bring that point to fruition, but Elphaba's fragile and pleading look stopped her. Now wasn't the right time. She had already made herself as vulnerable as she was going to allow for today, and the blonde didn't want to upset her further. She was slowly learning that Elphaba was like a geo. There were layers of hardened exterior to get through, and they couldn't all be cracked at once. It took time and patience, but if you managed to wiggle your way into her heart, the treasure of her friendship was well worth it.

Glancing at the clock, Galinda realized they had completely missed first period Ozonomics. In ten minutes, history with Dr. Dillamond would start. She took a deep breath and squeezed Elphaba's hand, offering her a small, brave smile. "Ok," she said, "I'll try."

Elphaba beamed.

* * *

><p>Elphaba was proud of Galinda. It had taken awhile, and they stayed close to the walls and the shadows of the trees, stopping several times so Galinda could use the bathroom (Elphaba was sure her nerves, coupled with her already delicate system due to the pregnancy were doing nothing to help the situation) but finally, they'd arrived at the door of Doctor Dillamond's History 101 seminar. "Are you ready?" She glanced over at Galinda who, despite the anxiousness oozing out of every one of her pores, was trying to put on a brave face.<p>

The blonde took a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting it out in a slow puff of air. She squared her shoulders and gently slipped her hand out of her emerald friends, wanting to try and do this on her own. "As I'll ever be," she said bravely, despite the quiver in her voice. Elphaba nodded and turned the brass doorknob. Together, they stepped inside.

"And so, students," Doctor Dillamond's bleating voice echoed through the room, "With the arrival of the Wizard and the creation of the Emerald City…" He turned toward the door as he heard the brass knob turn, his face broke into a large grin as his favorite student student stepped through it. "Ahh, Miss. Elphaba, Miss. Ghhh- Glinda." he pronounced, and Galinda resisted the temptation to roll her eyes at his mispronunciation of her name, "I wondered when you would get there, you're both rather late."

Galinda's ears rang and she fought to keep her breathing even. Did he just say she was late? Did he know already? If he knew, how many others did? Galinda glanced around, everyone was whispering, but no one was looking her way. It didn't make any sense. How did the old Goat know if no one else did? Had Elphaba told him? Galinda's mouth went dry and her heart hammered in her chest. She clenched her fists at her sides. If Elphaba wasn't who she said-"

"Miss. Ghhhlinda? Are you with us?" Doctor Dillamond's booming voice brought her out of her inner nightmare.

"I-I'm sorry, what?" she stuttered nervously.

"I was just saying that I was becoming rather worried when you and Miss. Elphaba were both tardy the morning, but I'm glad to see you up and about. Miss. Elphaba informed me that you haven't been feeling all that well as of late, are you any better?"

Galinda sighed in relief. So he didn't know! She shook her head and chuckled to herself. Momsie always said she had a flair for dramatics. "Yes," she replied sweetly, "I am, in fact. Elphaba has been helping me keep up with my studies as well.

"Wonderful!" the teacher said with an enthusiastic clap of his hooves. "You girls may take your seats now. We were just about to begin out lecture on the founding of the Emerald City."

It wasn't until she got to get desk and had finished unpacking her materials that Galinda's ears pricked and she heard it. The discrete but incessant buzz that was the unmistakable sign of an irresistible new bit of gossip rapidly making its way around the school. Galinda clutched her pencil so hard it almost snapped in half, trying to block out the whispers and concentrate on Doctor Dillamond's boring lecture, but she couldn't help from catching a few phrases.

"Galinda's back," whispered Rebecca, one of the other popular girls at Shiz that occasionally hung out with Galinda and her friends. She was nice enough, usually, but far too chatty and conceded, even for Galinda's taste. She could talk a mile a minute and hardly anyone got a word in edgewise. Despite her better judgement, Ged her ear toward the girl and tried to zone in on what she was going to say next.

"Are you sure that's her?" giggled her best friend and partner in crime, Amena.

"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Rebecca in confusion.

Amena laughed, "Well, she walked in with the green bean," she explained. "Why would she do that?"

Galinda clutched her pencil a little harder, poking a hole through her notebook with the pressure she was inforcing as she wrote.

"Oooh, you're right!" Rebecca exclaimed as if someone had just told her the meaning of life.

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Dimwit." she murmured under her breath. She was about to turn back to the lecture when Amena's loud gasp caught her attention.

"Do you think the artichoke put a spell on her?" she asked in awe.

Rebecca shrugged. "She might have. That's probably the only way the freak can make friends anyway...magiking them to like her." The girls collapsed into uncontrollable laughter.

Galinda's nostrils flared and her gaze flamed. How dare they accuse Elphie of something like that? They didn't even know her!

For a moment, Galinda was surprised how much their teasing affected her. She didn't think it was possible to change as much as she had in one short week, but she knew that once upon a time, she would've join in their cruel jokes. Now, after all Elphaba had done for her and after everything she'd learned in the past week, heck in even in the past few hours, she was ashamed and appalled to think that she'd ever even considered humiliating her like that. Glancing over at Elphaba, Galinda was relieved to note that she was still intently taking notes on Dr. Dillamond's lecture and probably hadn't heard a word of the gossip. Just as Galinda was about to march over, class or no class, and give those two brainless brats a piece of her mind, the bell rang.

Trying to breathe deep, she clenched and unclenched her fists a few times as she started to pack up her things. Just as she was standing up and swinging her bag over her shoulder, Elphaba appeared next to her desk.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked when she noticed her friend's pensive expression.

Galinda glanced toward where Rebecca and Amena were leaning casually against the doorframe. They were pointing and laughing while trying to sneak not so subtle looks toward the other girls. "Yeah…" she mumbled distractedly, "I'm fine."

"You feel well enough to go to the caf for lunch?" Elphaba quirked her brow at the blonde's far away expression.

Galinda's gaze was still trained on the two gossips by the door, wondering whether or not she should get involved. I said I was going to change. she reminded herself resolutely, And I meant it. Elphaba might not care if people made fun of her, but Galinda certainly did. They were friends now. And she was determined to set those two straight about what happened when someone messed with Galinda Upland's friends. "You go on ahead." She waved her hand in what looked like a 'shoo, shoo' gesture. "I'll be right behind you. I have to uh, talk to Doctor Dillamond about that paper assignment I missed."

The green girl studied Galinda, glancing back and forth between her best friend and her favorite teacher, who looked to be packing up for the day. "Oookay," she said, the skepticism clear in her voice as well as her eyes. "I'll… meet you there then?" she asked uncertainly as she slowly made her way toward the door."

Galinda gave her friend a grateful smile , but again shooed her away. "Go on, Elphie. I'm a big girl, I can walk myself to the cafeteria."

Elphaba gave a hesitant laugh. "Alright, Glin. I'll see you there." And then, finally, she turned and made her way out into the hall. Galinda's pulse quickened as Becca and Amena's snickers got louder as she passed, but her emerald roommate paid them no mind, simply slinking by and melting into the swarm of students.

When she was sure Elphaba was no longer in sight, the blonde swung her messenger bag over her shoulder and stalked over toward the door. "Hey! You two!"

Both Amena and Rebecca's faces brightened almost instantly. "Galinda!" they called happily, rushing over and giving her french style kisses on both cheeks. Galinda didn't respond, instead standing stiff as a plank with her fists at her sides and trying in vain to keep her face as a blank slate.

"Galinda, darling," Rebecca gushed, "What happened to you? You look positively...ghostly. Are you feeling any better?"

Her steely eyes narrowed, but she said nothing, not trusting her voice to be civil just then.

"She has to be, now that she's gotten some fresh air. I bet she got sick from something the artichoke gave her." Amena quipped and her friend giggled.

"But really, dear, do you need anything? Rebecca asked once she caught her breath. "We saw you walk in here with that… witch. Did she magik you into begging friend's with her? Should we tell the Head Shiztress? I bet we could get her expelled for you."

"Something that disgustisfying shouldn't be allowed in such a prime university anyway." Amena put in. "How did she even get in?"

"I hear she's only here to take care of her sister, the crippled governor's daughter Nessa." said Rebecca.

"Ahh the cripple and the witch... how fitting." Amena smirked.

That's when Galinda snapped. "Elphie is not a thing!" she screamed, making the two girls jump. "She's a human being! And a far better one than the two of you will ever be, of that I can assure you," she huffed angrily.

"Ga- Galinda…" Rebecca was too startled to say anything else.

"Let me ask you something," she hissed. "These people, these innocent students that you go around spreading rumors about and humiliating and laughing at every day, have you ever bothered to get to know any of them?"

"Well I-" Amena started, utterly confused by her sudden outburst.

Galinda scoffed. "No, of course you haven't, because that would just ruin your fun, wouldn't it?" she spat. "And just the fact that you think that Elphaba" she over pronounced her name for emphasis, "my Elphaba, would ever put a spell on anyone just to get them to like her, shows how little you really know. I came with her today because she's my friend. Maybe my best friend. I like her because she's kind, and caring, and she loves me for who I am. Something I certainly can't say for either of you.

"Galinda-" Rebecca pleaded, "We care. Of course we care! But-"

"Yeah, we care about you," Amena chorused, "But-"

Galinda put up her hand and snorted in disgust. "Save it." she snarked. "I can't believe I was ever stupid enough to hang out with the likes of you." She turned around and prepared to leave the other two with their mouths hanging open like codfish. At the last second, she spun on her heel. "Oh, and by the way? If I ever catch you spreading rumors about her again, I'll make your lives at Shiz a living hell until the day you graduate." She raised a pointed eyebrow and dared them to defy her. "Am I clear?"

Both girls nodded vigorously, neither wanting to be on the receiving end of Galinda's wrath.

"Good." Without another word, she sauntered triumphantly into the hall.

On her way out, she caught the end of Amena's heated whisper, "Since when did the artichoke become Galinda's?" she asked.

* * *

><p>Galinda froze. Had she really said her Elphaba? Replaying the conversation in her head, she realized that she had and her face paled slightly. What had she meant by that? Had she meant anything by it? No, she shook her head vigorously, Elphie's just my friend. But was she? Galinda had never felt as close to anyone before as she had to her emerald roommate these past few weeks, she'd never wanted to protect anyone the way she did Elphie, but did that mean anything, or did it just mean she was finally learning what it meant to be a good friend? Her hand rested on her abdomen again, and she winced at the painful reminder. We're just friends she repeated again. Besides, I'm with Fiyero. But then, she'd known Fiyero for over two months now, and she hardly knew anything about him. With Elphie… No. She wasn't going to go there. She couldn't go there. To be pregnant and realize she might be… Galinda shivered. That was not an idea she could entertain right now. Maybe not ever. She was going to be in enough hot water when her parents found out about the baby. If they find out. She reminded herself. She still didn't have a clue what she was going to do yet, and she was in no position to decide now. Sooner or later she knew she'd have to go to that doctor and figure things out, but for now, she was just concerned with getting through today. It had only been one period, and she was already becoming unravelled. My hormones are probably just making me paranoid. She reasoned, trying to push the tangled web of thoughts away. One problem at a time. That was about all she could handle right now.<p>

"Ooof!" In her daze, she had forgotten to look where she was going. Just as she rounded the corner, she bumped straight into… "Oh, uh, Elphie… hi." She looked down, slightly sheepish as nervious butterflies took flight in her stomach.

"Galinda…" she chided and the blonde winced.

"H-how much did you hear?" she asked anxiously. Her mind kept drifting back to Amena's snide comment. Had Elphaba heard it too? Did she think anything of it? Stop being so jumpy. Galinda reprimanded herself. Just let her talk.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow, "Did you really think I'd let you walk all the way across campus on your own after what happened earlier?" she asked.

Galinda sighed. "I'm not going to apologize for what I said, Elphie." she told her matter-of-factly. Those two are lying, despicable scum who need to be-"

"Glin…" The vulnerable note in her friend's voice made the blonde stop short. "Did you really mean what you said? A-about me being you're um…" she shuffled her feet and kept her eyes trained to the floor.

Galinda's face immediately softened and she grasped her friend's trembling hand in her own. "My best friend?" she asked, cutting her off before she could bring up Galinda's other blunder.

Elphaba nodded a little timidly.

Galinda sighed inwardly. Thank goodness! She smiled kindly at her roommate. "Of course I did, Elphie. You're the only person I know who has seen every flaw I have, and not run away. What more could I ask for in a best friend?"

Elphaba swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled. "Th-Thanks." she stuttered, unable to comprehend the fact that the most popular girl in Craige Hall could consider the artichoke to be her best friend. She knew they'd grown closer in the past few weeks, but this? She never expected Galinda to think so much of her. She blushed a darker shade of emerald.

Galinda smiled. "No, thank you. I've had so many friends, Elphie, but I've only really been able to be myself around you."

"I- I feel the same way Glin." Elphaba whispered, shocked that she was even admitting it out loud. "You're one of the only people who took the time to see past my green skin… Even if it was because you were forced to, having to room with me and all." She laughed.

"Oh, Elphie!" Galinda giggled. Then her brow furrowed as she noticed her friend's face grow serious again. "What is it?"

"C- can I ask you one favor?" Elphaba wondered nervously.

The blonde shrugged. "Anything."

"Those girls, in Dillamond's class. They were talking about me, right?"

Galinda bit her lip. "Elphie…" she pleaded, begging her friend not to get into this now.

Elphaba squeezed her hand. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what you said, Glin, but… Next time, can you just leave it?"

"But Elpha-" her friend protested, stomping her foot.

"No, Glin." She held up a jade hand to stop her protests. I get what you're trying to do, and I love you for it, but I just don't want to draw anymore attention to myself ok? My skin does that enough as it is." She laughed a breathy laugh.

"But that's not-"

Again, Elphaba cut her off. "Just... Promise me you won't do anything next time, alright?"

Galinda sighed, seeing the argument was pointless. Elphaba was just too stubborn. "I promise," she agreed reluctantly.

"Good." she nodded curtly. "Now, let's go to lunch."

Galinda gave a small smile and together they skipped out into the brisk fall air.


	5. If No One Will Listen

**A/N: i am SOO sorry that I'm almost a week late with this update! School got in the way, but hopefully the length makes up for it! Hope you enjoy, and if you're reading Wicked Wars, I'm hoping to have chapter 2 up on Sunday, so be on the look out. **

**NOTE: I changed the names of the two girls dissing Elphie last chapter to Rebecca and Amena so I could stick to the musical and make Pfanne and ShenShen Galinda's main popular friends, just so you aren't confused. ;) **

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical! **

**5**

**If No One Will Listen **

Galinda pushed her tray down the long lunch line, not really paying attention to the offerings, more concerned with trying to sort through her conflicting feelings. A part of her was still focused on the fact that she'd mistakenly called Elphie hers, and whether it was just an accidental slip of the tongue, or if it unconsciously meant something, but the more immediate concern, for her at least, was the fact that her roommate didn't seem to want to be defended against the cruel, popular crowd of Shiz. Galinda caught her lip between her teeth, lost in thought as she let the stream of students whisk her forward in the line. Elphaba's sense of self-worth was heart-wrenchingly low, that much she already knew. What she couldn't understand was why she would turn down the opportunity to be defended, to be _liked_. Why would she give up on the possibility, however slim it might be, that someday, the students at school might see her as a person, rather than the brunt of a joke? Her thought drifted again to another one of her mother's daily mantras. Over the past few weeks, Galinda had had a lot of bitter feeling toward her mother as she was slowly coming to realize that most of the lessons that had governed her entire existence were _very_ skewed, almost appallingly so, in some cases. But the one thing her mother had taught her that she was certain could never be disproven, was the power of hope. Hope that tomorrow, things would look better. Hope that, no matter how dark things got, there was always a light at the end of the tunnel. Of all the things her mother had tried to drum into her head, that had always resonated the most. She supposed it was the reason she was always characterized as a bubbly blonde; she never stopped looking on the bright side. Why would Elphaba give that up? Even as bad as her life had been, could she really lose hope completely?

No. Galinda decided. Hope wasn't the issue here, or at least, not the heart of it. A part of Elphaba, however small, still longed for someone to see her for who she really was. She'd seen it in her eyes the night of the Ozdust. Along with a healthy dose of uncertainty and suspicion, there had been a glimmer of something there. A desperate wish that this time, things could be different. And for that little spark to shine through, there had to be some hope left in her. Galinda smiled to herself, praying that for once, she had helped at least one of the green girl's wishes come true.

But if it wasn't for lack of hope; if she knew that with a little effort, things could always be turned around, then why did she act as though the teasing and constant scenery didn't matter? Galinda knew for a fact that they did, Elphaba had told her so herself. _This hideous green pigment and stupid magical glimpse of mine, they label me an outcast… _Galinda gasped as the reason begin to dawn on her. Her comment… the night after the almost-disaster at the dance…it couldn't be that... _No. _She shook her head stubbornly. She was letting her imagination run away with her… _Wasn't _she? Surely Elphaba didn't actually _believe _those things people said about her? Right? They were just words. Meaningless syllables uttered out of the mouths of petty, ignorant people who got a thrill out of poking fun at those they deemed "lesser" than them. Galinda bit down harder on her perfectly painted lip. The more she thought about it, the more she started to understand that they _weren't_ just words. Maybe to Galinda, but certainly not to Elphie. To Elphie they were facts. They were the mantras she'd heard all her life, the things that had ripped up her confidence to shreds so small, she was powerless against them. In the face of those ignorant remarks and jeering looks, she had no strength. Not because she didn't possess it, but because she had always been ridiculed for using it. The more she tried to stand up for herself, the worse and more harsh the remarks became. Galinda realized now that Elphaba succumbed to it simply because she was tired of fighting. She was tired of trying to prove herself, of doing what she considered the cowardly thing and supposedly denying what she interpreted to be the inevitable truth. She was an outcast. A misfit. An abomination. And she saw no way of disproving that, so she'd just learned to accept it.

Galinda's hands gripped her lunch tray with so much force she was afraid she might break it in half. How had she not seen it sooner? _You did, _she sneered at herself. _You just chose to ignore it so you could continue to laugh at her and fit in with your ridiculous _"friends" _without feeling guilty. _Well, no more. She didn't know how, but she was determined to show Elphaba, and the rest of the school, that there was more to the reclusive green girl than anyone realized. If she saw it, surely she could show Elphie too. She was _going _to teach her friend how to love herself, no matter how long it took. She was going to-

"What do you want?" A dry, monotone voice cut through her inner pep talk. Galinda blinked back to reality and turned to the steel-faced, unibrowed lunch lady behind the counter, wrinkling her nose as she looked at the tray of beefy slop the other woman was spooning onto people's trays.

"What is _that_?"

"Sloppy Joe meat," the woman shrugged listlessly. "But if you want one, I gotta get more buns out of the oven."

Galinda's mouth dropped open at that comment. Her ears buzzed. Automatically, one hand flew subconsciously to her abdomen. She felt her breathing accelerate and sweat bead on her forehead. _Oh Oz, _she thought. _Please don't let me faint again. Not here, in front of all these people!_ She took a deep breath and swallowed hard, concentrating on keeping her breathing steady. "I-I'm sorry," she muttered nervously. "What was that you said?" She was doing her best to sound innocent and ignore the low buzz of whispers fluttering around her.

"The buns." the woman repeated impatiently. "Do you want a sandwich or not? 'Cause if you do, I gotta go get more bread from the back."

Galinda let out a long breath and giggled in relief. She was talking about _sandwiches, _not _baby bumps! _

_Nice going, Glin, _she chided herself _Almost fainting over sandwich bread! _She shook her head ruefully and offered up a big, toothy smile. "No, thank you." She politely denied the questionable looking mystery meat. "I think I'll just get a salad."

The lady just shrugged.

Galinda quickly slid out of line, making her way over to the salad station and preparing a small plate of leafy greens with some cheese, tomatoes, and a bit of balsamic dressing on the side. She also grabbed a banana and some apple juice. She still wasn't terribly hungry, but Elphie was right, she had to try and eat something, if only to keep her strength up. She stood in the middle of the room for a minute, looking around awkwardly before she spotted Elphaba waving at her from where she sat with Nessa and Boq, in the far corner of the room by a window. Galinda smiled and gingerly made her way over to them.

"Hey Glin," the green girl smiled as she sat down and daintily took her plates off of the tray to arrange them in front of her.

"Huh?" Galinda's mind was still on the bun in the oven comment. Was it going to be like this all the time now? She sure hoped not. It would be very unbecoming if she nearly fainted every time someone made a comment that sounded anything remotely like it might be referring to her secret. She brushed a stray curl out of her face and tried to concentrate on taking small bites of her salad, despite the fact that it looked incredibly unappetizing at the moment, and the smell of the vinegar from the balsamic was making her feel incredibly queasy. She cringed when she picked up her fork and saw that her hands were shaking. She tried her hardest to breathe deep and hoped no one else would notice.

"Galinda?" Elphaba asked curiously. "Are you alright? You look a bit pale." She frowned in concern when she noticed her friend's flushed complexion and quivering hand.

"What?" The blonde looked up, slightly alarmed. _Great, _she grumbled to herself. _Just great. _Her features softened and she did her best to look relaxed and in control. "I'm fine, Elphie, really." She offered up a wide, stunning smile before turning to Nessa and quickly changing the topic. "So, Nessa," she queried sweetly. "How did things go at the Ozdust with you and Biq?" She glanced expectantly between the munchkin boy and Elphaba's sister.

"It's _Boq_," the boy mumbled, but, once again, Galinda wasn't paying him any attention. He sighed in defeat and went back to sipping at his soup.

"You two really seemed to hit it off, from what I could tell." Galinda took another miniscule bite of salad and winked at Nessa, who blushed furiously.

"Oh, we did!" she enthused, grabbing the boy's free hand and making him squirm uncomfortably under her adoring gaze. "Boq's wonderful! He even took me dancing!" Nessa's eyes lit up and Elphaba glowed with pleasure to see her sister so animated. There were a lot of times when she truly envied Nessa, for so many things, but she knew life for her sister wasn't all that simple either. As much as she could resent Nessa some days, it was nice to see her genuinely happy for once. She squeezed her sister's hand and mouthed sincere _Thank you _to her roommate, who only flushed and looked down at her food. She felt horrible now for pawning the munchkin boy off on Nessa just so she could dance with Fiyero, but after that first night… she didn't feel she had any other choice. And Nessa was so _happy _now. She just couldn't crush her dreams. But she could sense from a mile away how uncomfortable Biq- no, _Boq- _was_. _She still was in no way attracted to him other than the possibility of making a potential new friend, but she didn't have a clue what to do about this. One way or another, one of them was going to end up getting hurt. The blonde bit her lip as Nessa continued to gush about the Ozdust dance.

"It was the most amazing night ever!" she exclaimed. "And all thanks to _you, _Galinda." She offered up her widest smile and her eyes shown with dreamy pleasure. "I never would've met Boq if it weren't for you!"

"Yeah," the munchkin boy shifted in his seat. "Thanks." Galinda winced at the note of wistfulness in his voice. Elphaba noticed to, and promptly glared at him. _No one messes with my sister_, the look seemed to say. _You hurt her, you're a dead man. _Boq gulped audibly.

It wasn't like he didn't like Nessa, he did! She was sweet and cute and funny… but he'd always seen her more like a younger sister, and he knew quite well that she had no interest in him as a brotherly type figure. He sighed. He was all for giving this a try, as he was quickly coming to realize that pinning after Galinda was going to get him nowhere, but if things didn't change soon, well, he wasn't sure _what _he would do. The blonde noticed the exchange too, and inwardly groaned. She made this mess, now, somehow, she would have to fix it. She decided then at their to tell Elphie the truth about what happened with Boq and Nessa when they got back to the room that night. It wouldn't be easy, but it was the only way she could think of that might not end up with someone's heart being shattered to pieces sometime in the near future.

"Galinda?" Nessa called again.

"Hmm?" The blonde turned her attention back to the current conversation.

The brunette smiled. "I was just asking how you were feeling. I noticed you hadn't been in Politics Class lately. Fabala told me you came down with something after the dance the other night. Are you feeling any better?"

Galinda grinned hesitantly. "Yes, thank you, I'm feeling much better. It was probably just the flu or something." She waved off any father concern as she unwrapped her banana, Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Elphaba raise a questioning eyebrow as she took a big bite of the squishy, yellow fruit to prove her point. Her stomach churned in protest, but she ignored it.

"Oh," Nessa grinned. "Well, that's good. I was beginning to worry when I hadn't seen you about for almost a week." She went back to eating her apple and for a minute there was only silence as everyone munched on their lunches. Then Boq glanced at his wristwatch and cleared his throat,

"I hate to be a pest," he interrupted apologetically, "but Nessa, didn't you say you had to meet Professor Maddock at one?"

Nessa sighed and started to stack up the trash from her lunch tray, "Yeah, I guess we better go," she admitted sullenly.

Elphaba smiled sympathetically. "It's ok, Nessie."

"Yeah," Boq chimed in. "You'll do better next time."

"I hope so," she lamented as she blew a strand of chestnut hair out of her face and placed her tray on her lap. "What did you get on the test, Galinda?" she asked curiously.

"_WHAT?" _the blonde shrieked. Her palms begin to sweat and she looked around wildly. How did they know she'd taken a pregnancy test? She felt her heartbeat quicken and glanced frantically at Elphaba. What in all of Oz was she supposed to say now? "Wh- what do you mean?" she stuttered nervously.

"Uh, Glin-" Elphaba coughed, trying to hold back a laugh. "I think they were talking about-"

"The Politics test." Nessa finished for her. "What did you get on the _Politics _test."

"The what?"

Nessa grinned at Galinda's confused face. "It's ok, I understand why you might want to forget about it. I studied for a week and I still barely passed," she laughed.

"Oh," Galinda tried to brush her outburst off good naturedly. "Well, I actually haven't taken it yet. You know, being sick and all." She swayed back and forth on her heels as those life-changing pink lines kept flashing before her eyes.

"Oh," Nessa giggled a bit, "Right, that makes sense. Well, I wish you luck! Hopefully, you'll do better than I did!" She waved as she and Boq made their way out of the cafeteria.

Galinda highly doubted that, but she was grateful for the thought anyway. "Thanks Nessa! Have a good day!" she called back cheerily.

"You too!" the brunette smiled as she turned and wheeled away.

* * *

><p>As soon as they were out of eyesight, Galinda collapsed back in her chair and let out a long sigh. "Phew! That was exhausting! Please tell me it won't <em>always <em>be like this!" she begged, her stormy gray-blue orbs locking imploringly on Elphaba's thoroughly perplexed sable ones.

"Like what?"

Galinda groaned and pushed herself back up into a sitting position. "Like this!" She flourished her hand and gestured around the cafeteria. Like people are always stalking me-"

Her emerald roommate quired an amused eyebrow. "People _are_ always stalking you Glin," she jested. "You're the most popular girl in school."

The blonde narrowed her eyes and tried to look annoyed. "Ha, ha, very funny." she droned.

Elphaba smirked. "I thought so."

This time, Galinda did giggle briefly before her bright blue ettes became serious again. "I mean it, Elphie! I feel so… jumpy. And every time anyone mentions _anything _that has any chance of reminding me of a-" Her eyes darted around the room apprehensively and she licked her progressively drying lips before lowering her voice to a whisper and placing her palm back on her abdomen. "A you-know-what." Elphaba nodded her understanding and motioned for her to go on. "I relapse into total panic-mode. I almost fainted in the lunch line because the server told me she had to get more 'buns out of the oven'! _Fainted, _Elphie!" She threw up her hands in exasperation and exaggerated her features to look comically distressed.

Elphaba stifled a laugh at her friend's dramatics. She believed it had happened of course, but the way the blonde explained it… she was just so… Galinda about it all. Always adding her extra flare to every story. The green girl could tell she was doing it to keep herself from completely breaking down, but despite the seriousness of the situation, Elphaba cracked a smile and her eyes sparkled. It was good to see her roommate slowly coming back her elaborate ways, even if, for now, it was just to keep her sanity.

"Hmph!" Galinda's eyes narrowed and she squared her hands pointedly on her hips. "And just what are you smiling at,Elphaba?" she asked with a small bite in her tone.

The emerald girl laid one jade hand on top of her friend's, which she noticed was slightly shaking. "Nothing," she said, her features softening. "It's just good to see you being...you again."

Galinda held back a gasp. Elphaba's voice had taken on a bit of a tender edge now, and she was surprised at how it made giddy butterflies flutter in her stomach. She blushed lightly, and tried to brush it off with a joke. She cocked her head to the side and blinked in innocent confusion. "Who else would I be? The _Wizard_?" She stuck her tongue out and winked playfully.

Elphaba laughed and gently shoved her. "I like you much better the way you are," she complimented.

Galinda blushed prettily and a small, girlish giggle escaped her magenta colored lips. "Thanks."

The green girl smiled and rested on emerald hand atop her friend's. "And I know how scary and weird everything seems right now- like you'll make one little slip and suddenly everyone will jump out from behind whatever bush they've been hiding in and cackling 'Caught you!'"

Galinda nodded vigorously, her golden ringlets bouncing up and down with such amazing speed that they almost looked like springs. Her blue eyes were wide with amazement at how well Elphie could already read her mind. "Exactly!"

Elphaba smiled softly. "It's not a fun feeling, I know," she sympathized. "But it _will _get better, Glin. Not right away, but with time, it will. Trust me."

"I sure hope so. Otherwise I might go crazy! I _hate _feeling so paranoid!"

"I know," her friend said. "And I won't lie to you, Glin, it will most definitely get harder before it gets easier, especially when you start… showing." Galinda paled visibly at that thought and the hand that rested subconsciously on her still flat stomach trembled. "But it _will _get easier eventually. "

Galinda winced and swallowed hard. The sorceress could see she was fighting to keep her sudden bout of fearful tears at bay. Elphaba squeezed her hand in comfort and the blonde offered her a watery smile. After a few minutes of neither of them saying anything, Elphaba smiled.

"I'm proud of you, you know."

Galinda's brows creased and she ran the back of her wrist over her moist eyes. "For what?" she snorted softly.

"For this." Elphaba spread her hands to indicate the cafeteria, less crowded now that the lunch rush was ending. "For coming out today. It was really brave, and you've been doing really well. "

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right," she scoffed. "I almost _fainted, _Elphie. _Twice._"

"Still," the green girl protested, "you're doing great."

Galinda's cheeks pinkened. "Well...thanks," she replied shyly. "Now if only I can get through the rest of the day without running into-"

"Galinda!" Two overly cheerily voices echoed across the nearly empty cafeteria.

"Oh, shiza!" the blonde cursed under her breath. Her face paled and she slunk down in her seat, trying to blend into the chair and become nothing short of invisible.

"Galinda?" Elphaba couldn't keep the befuddlement out of her gaze at her roommates sudden and drastic change in posture. "What's wro-"

"Whoo hoo, Galinda! Over here, love!" Pfanne called again, waving enthusiastically at their table. Two pairs of incredibly expensive bejeweled high-heels click-clacked against the linoleum, heading straight for them.

"Oh." Elphaba deadpanned, not pleased at all with the sight of her roommate's snotty, entirely-too-chipper 'friends'. She stood up and promptly strutted around the table, picking up the blonde's tray and motioning for her to follow. "It's alright, Glin," she said. "Let's just pretend we didn't hear them and-"

Galinda was about to get up and follow the sorceress, using all of her confidence not to cast a nervous glance back at her- former friends? Did she _want _them to be her former friends? Or was she still attached to them? The blonde shook her head; this was all far too confusifying. All she knew right now was that he wanted to get away. But before she could stand up, she felt an unfamiliar hand rest itself on her shoulder. She winced as she was lowered back down into her seat and came face to face with ShenShen.

"Galinda, where were you going?" she asked, her almond shaped, dark eyes riddled with concern.

"Yeah," chimed in Pfanne, flipping her ginger hair behind one shoulder and fixing her wide, sea-colored eyes on Galinda. "Didn't you hear us calling you?"

"Well I-" Galinda caught her lip between her teeth and looked around frantically for Elphaba. She was standing a few paces away, half-turned toward the table. One foot was perched precariously in front of the other and her eyes were locked exclusively on Galinda. She seemed to be judging whether she should keep walking, or go back and join her friend, if only to protect her. Her eyes narrowed and her gaze flicked quickly between Galinda and the other girls. "Glin?" she asked. "You coming?"

The blonde glanced distractedly between Elphaba and her 'popular friends'. "Yeah," she decided with a small smile. "I'll be right-" But Pfanne interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

"Oh my Oz, Galinda, are you actually… _friends _with the _artichoke_?" She looked horrified by the mere thought.

"No!" ShenShen gasped. "She couldn't be! She was just sitting with her as a um, charity project, for Community Service class…Right, Galinda?"

Galinda clasped her hands together anxiously. She licked her dry lips and looked between each of her three friends. This could go one of so many different ways, but it was up to her to decide which direction it would take. Did she really want to admit her friendship to Pfanne and ShenShen?

_Well, _she reasoned, _you already made yourself perfectly clear to Rebecca and Amena. _

A small smile crept onto the blonde's face as she thought back to the way she'd stood up for Elphaba only a few hours before. Surly Pfanne and ShenShen would find out soon enough from the rumors that were flittering around, courtesy of those two Queens of Gossip, so why not from Galinda herself? It was one thing to tell off two girls she hardly knew, but confessing her change of heart to the two people who, only a few weeks ago she would have considered her closest friends, _that's _what would truly prove she was changing.

Her smile widened as she drew herself up a little taller and matched over to the green girl. Elphaba eyed her suspiciously, her sable orbs darting between the two prissy airheads, whose mouths were almost hanging down to the floor, and her roommate. She stiffened when she felt Galinda's arm settle over her emerald shoulders. _What are you up to? _she wondered. Galinda noticed, but only squeezed her shoulders in response.

"Pfanne, Shen, this is Elphie." She grinned and pulled the witch back toward their table, motioning for her to sit down.

Elphaba dug her heels into the floor. Her face changed from a vibrant jade to a sickly lime. Her glasses slid down the end of her nose and she gulped nervously under the intense daggers the others were directing at her. "O- Oh, no," she stammered, putting her hands up in surrender. "Glin, I really don't think I should-"

"Galinda!" Pfanne gasped. "You _can't _be serious! You don't _actually _expect us to… to befriend this... _thing_? _Do _you?"

Galinda's eyes flashed and she crossed her arms resolutely over her chest. "I most certainly do, Pfanne," she declared. "And if my friendship means anything to you, then you will-"

"No," Elphaba interrupted softly. "Really, Glin. It's ok."

Galinda's storm-colored eyes widened in hurt. She turned to her roommate. "No, it isn't Elphie! You're my best friend and I want-"

"No," she repeated sadly. "I'm not."

"Wha-" Galinda stumbled back in shock. What was Elphie _saying? _"W-what do you mean?" Her lower lip quivered and her eyes glistened with tears.

"Look," Elphaba smiled sadly, "I get what you're doing, and I really appreciate it, Glin. You needed someone, and you picked me because I was there."

Galinda gaped at her roommate. "El-Elphie, no! I would _never-!_"

"And I love that you stood up for me in Dillamund's class, no one's ever done that before. But you're not…" she hesitated and cleared her throat, trying to dislodge the lump forming there, "sick anymore." She went along with the fib they'd been using whenever anyone questioned Galinda's absense. She was undoubtedly still going to go through a lot these next few months, but, clearly, she didn't need Elphaba.

_She used to be popular_, the sorceress reminded herself bitterly, _before all this happened._

Before she danced with the green girl. That's when it all really started. But she was back in her world now. Elphaba didn't want to cost Galinda her friends. She wasn't worth that much trouble; she was just a green, magical freak.

She sighed and met her roommate's eyes. "You have your friends back." she told her. "And _I _certainly don't want to be responsible for wrecking that for you."

Galinda couldn't believe what she was hearing! Where in all of Oz was this _coming from? _"Elphie wha-"

"I'll see you in Sorcery," she said sadly. And without another word, the green girl turned and walked out the door, leaving the blonde gaping unspeakably after her.

"Elphie…?" she whispered, lost in shock.

"Well," Pfanne chuckled after a few minutes of awkward, uncertain silence, "Guess that takes care of that."

"Once a reject, always a reject," Shen giggled.

"Now things can get back to normal around here, right Galinda?" Pfanne smiled.

Galinda's eyes narrowed into slits. She clenched her fists so hard her perfectly manicured nails dug into her palms and left bright red marks. She whirled on her ex-friends. "You two," she hissed venomously, "are despicable." And then she sprinted after Elphaba, leaving the two girls to stare, dumbfounded, at the spot where she'd been standing just a few moments ago.

* * *

><p>Elphaba slid down the sparkling, silver brick of the Alchemechy and Sorcery building that was only a few quick strides away from the cafeteria. She curled into herself, pulling her knees tight to her chest, and resting her forehead on her knees, fighting to keep the anger and sorrow that welled up inside her at bay. She should've known better. As soon as Galinda returned to her old clique, Elphaba would be back to what she always was; a lonely misfit who faded into the walls, meant to be seen and jeered at, but never heard. She couldn't believe she actually thought- No. It was stupid. She should've never entertained the idea of the perky blonde changing. She was <em>not <em>going to be held responsible for Galinda losing all of her friends, not to mention her reputation. She wasn't worth that. She knew it. She'd always known that.

Oz, she was so naive! How had she ever convinced herself that Galinda Arduenna Upland, Gillkin debutante and the most popular girl in school, would _ever _want to be her friend?

_Because she confided in you, _jeered that condescending voice in her head. _And you, you despicable green abomination, were stupid enough to believe her. _

"No." Elphaba whispered. She meant to sound fierce, but instead it came out raspy and broken. Try as she might, the sorceress could not fully vanish that voice from her head.

_She gave me that hat_, Elphaba thought first, retaliating back against the devil that dwelled deep in the perils of her mind. _It was the first real present I've ever gotten from anyone besides Nanny. _

_She gave it to you because she hated it. It was a reject. Just. Like. You._

Elphaba gulped. The voice was right. The hat had been a reject gift- but it was also the thing that started them on the road to...what were they now? Had it all been just an act?

No. It couldn't be. There had to me more to it than that. Right?

_She helped me. At the Ozdust. _Elphaba gritted her teeth and swallowed around the aching lump that was growing thicker and thicker in her throat. She was searching, in vain, it seemed, through her recent memories for something, _anything_, that could dislodge that crippling voice, could prove Galinda's friendship was real. That she'd made the wrong decision by running off, and any minute now, the bouncy blonde was going to come after her, smiling in that annoyingly peppy way of hers and-

_Would you listen to yourself? _the voice scoffed again. _You're being ridiculous. She only helped you because she felt indebted to you. You said it yourself. _

_No. T-That's not true. _Even in her mind, the green girl's voice quivered.

_It is. And you know it. She admitted it herself. _

_No! You're lying. _Elphaba gulped as the tears came closer to brimming her eyes. She sniffed and brushed her arm along her moist eyes. What was she even upset about? _She'd_ run away, not Galinda. _Galinda_ had tried to include her. But she wasn't worth being included. Not if it ruined everything her friend had ever had. She'd been fine without Galinda before, and she would be fine without her again.

_No, you won't. She was the first person _you ever _confided in. That's why you feel like this. You thought you could trust her. _

_I can. _Elphaba defended quickly. _S-She defended me to Rebecca and Amena. I know I can trust her._

_Can you?_

_Why else would she have told me her secret? _She was getting annoyed now. As if the anger and confusion bubbling up inside her weren't enough! Why wouldn't this Ozdamned voice just leave her the hell alone?

_You said it yourself, you were there. _She cringed at the indifference in the voice.

_No, _she insisted. _It was was more that that. I- It had to be. _

_Are you so sure? If that's true, then why isn't she out here, running after you, begging you to come back? _

Though she knew it was only in her mind, the sorceress could swear the voice was laughing at her. Elphaba lifted her head and looked around, but sure enough, no Galinda. She couldn't believe she was ignorant enough to think she would be there anyway.

_You see? _it taunted, _She doesn't care. You were her puppet, her plaything, her cushion until she could get her bearings enough to go back to her _real _life. _

That's when Elphaba broke down. She let her long ebony locks fall around her face like a dark, shielding veil. She buried her face in her lap and wrapped her arms around her legs, surrendering to a small, sudden sob as she finally let the tears fall.

* * *

><p>"Elphie!" Galinda sprinted through the halls, calling her roommate's name. Oh, how she was going to make ShenShen and Pfanne pay for this! She jogged out of the Common Building doors and quickly checked their dorm in Craige Hall, but no sign of her emerald roommate. Everything was just as they'd left it that morning.<p>

"Elphaba!" she panted as she continued to make her way around campus. She looked in the coffee shop, the library, the gardens, all of Elphaba's favorite places, and yet, she didn't see her. "Come on," she mumbled to herself. "Where _are _you?"

Finally, she made her way to the Alechemechy and Sorcery building. "Elphie?" she called out again. She went around the side of the platinum walls, but still, found nothing.

Until, she almost tripped over something. There, huddled in such a small ball she was almost unnoticeable, was the green girl. Her black hair was draped in a curtain around her, hiding most of her emerald skin. Her legs were drawn up to her chest and only the very bottom of her simple navy frock could be made out under the mop of raven locks. Galinda stopped. She stepped closer to her friend, the same way Elphaba had the day she found out she was pregnant. Listening closer, she realized that the usually strong sorceress was now sobbing into her lap. Galinda's nostrils flared. Oh, how she was going to _kill _Pfanne and ShenShen for doing this to _her _Elphie.

There it was again. That odd term of endearment that felt as strange in her mind as it had on her tongue, but left her with a warm glow inside her sternum. She couldn't worry about that now though. She sank down to the grass, for once not caring if the goopy dew stained her dress, and wrapped her arms about the green girl in a strong, protective hug. "Oh, Elphie," she whispered, shaking her head in disappointment at her ex-friends.

_Those two are so dead, _she fumed.

* * *

><p>Elphaba was confused. She felt a pair of long, slender arms wrap around her and pull her close, but she had no idea to whom they might belong. She thought she felt something wet (Was it raining? Did she care?) drip onto her cheek, intermingling with her own tears, but since she herself was crying, she couldn't be certain. The bigger question nagging at her was to figure out who in the hell was attempting to hug her right now? It wasn't Nessa, because she couldn't get down on the grass without help. But then- who could it be? Who else would care enough about her to-<p>

Suddenly, she heard a familiar sniffle, followed by… "Oh, Elphie…" It came out in a cracked whisper.

The green girl's senses prickled at that nickname. There was only one person who called her that. Only one person who had _ever _called her that. Could it-

_No. _Elphaba shook her head against her knees and stopped herself mid-thought. _No. _she said again. _You can't let yourself hope like that. She's back inside, joking and gossiping with her snobby friends. She didn't, _wouldn't, _follow you out he_r_e. _But when a gentle, cream-colored hand brushed a lock of damp, ebony hair away from her forehead, the sorceress' curiosity got the better of her. She didn't know why the sudden flame of hope suddenly burned so intensely in her chest, or when she'd started to associate the small, bouncy blonde with the fluttering of her heart, but slowly, she lifted her tear-streaked face and glanced timidly to the right. A sliver of a cautious smile made its way onto her face as she first caught a glimpse of long, golden curls. Her misty sable orbs rose to met stormy-blue ones. The smile widened. Her voice shook with uncertainty as she asked, just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, "G- Galinda?"

* * *

><p>As she felt the her roommate lift her head, Galinda shifted positions from where she had unconsciously rested her cheek on the top of Elphaba's scalp. She reached up and ran a hand over her face, only realizing just then that her cheeks were also damp. She too must have been crying, though she hadn't noticed. Seeing her normally strong friend huddling in the grass and looking so utterly alone must've stirred something inside the blonde. She was full of sympathy, but usually did not so easily cry simply because someone else was upset.<p>

_Stupid hormones, _she gripped. She didn't have time to think more about whether there was anything else to her impulsive bout of emotions, something which a part of her was glad for. Elphaba was staring at her intently, her chocolate eyes wide and mystified, as if she were sure her mind was playing tricks on her and Galinda was only a mirage.

"G- Galinda?" she stuttered quietly.

A small sob escaped her lips before she could stop it. A strong pang stabbed at her chest. She hated seeing Elphaba so fragile, so torn up. There had to be something she could do to make this better. "Elphie, I'm sorry!" she implored. "I had no idea Pfanne and Shen would be so rude. Believe me, when I get through with them-"

"Galinda," the green girl cut in. Her breathing was wet and ragged, but her voice was steady. "What are you doing here?" she asked, flatly though the words wavered a bit.

Galinda's brows creased in utter confusion. "Wh- What do you mean, Elphie?'

Elphaba bit her lip. She had Galinda back, if only for the moment. Did she really want to ruin it with her own insecurities?

"Elphie?" she asked again, her voice riddled with endearing concern.

The sorceress sighed and dropped her gaze to her lap. "I- I mean, what are you _doing _here? Why aren't you back with… with your friends?" she whispered brokenly as another solitary tear traced its way down her jade cheek.

"Pf- Pfanne and Shen?" she asked uncertainly.

Elphaba nodded miserably.

Galinda's gaze grew heard. "They're not my friends anymore," she attested fiercely. "They _hurt _you, Elphie. And anyone who hurts you-" But when she saw the tears that continued to stream down her roommate's face- it seemed her explanation was only making everything worse- she stopped short.

"Elphie," she said tenderly, hugging her middle, "Elphaba, what is it?"

To her surprise, the green girl only sobbed and shook her head unhappilly. "I- I'm sorry, Glin. I didn't mean to-" She trailed off and buried her face in her lap again, leaving her friend completely baffled as tears threatened to spill over onto her her own cheeks.

"Wh- why are you sorry? I'm not mad at _you. You_ didn't do anything wrong; _they're _the ones I want to pummel." Still, her roommate didn't look up. "Elphie, please. Talk to me," she begged.

Elphaba cautiously locked eyes with the blonde. Glinda raised a hand to brush her tangled locks away from her face, and her friend winced. Almost as if she thought Galinda were going to… hurt her? How could she ever think that? What was going on in that beautiful- did she just- She shook that thought away. Right now what was important was making sure her friend was ok. "Elphie," she soothed, "its ok. You're gonna be ok."

The green girl said nothing, but this time, she let Galinda comb her sodden hair away from her damp face. Galinda smiled softly, loving the warmth of the emerald skin under her own.

"Please," she asked again, "Tell me?"

The sorceress bit her lip and looked away. "Wh- why did you come after me?" she whispered. "I c- cost you your f- friends. I'm not-" She shook her head and steadied her gaze on her roommate. "I'm not worth that," she told her seriously.

At that statement, Galinda reeled. Her eyes were wide and her lips parted in shock. Had she actually heard Elphie say she didn't think she was worthy of having a friend? The tears that were poised at the edge of Galinda's lips begin to brim off at the thought. She knew from what Elphaba had told her that she hadn't had the best father, but she never imagined he could sink her self-image so low! "Elphie!" she breathed, clasping both of her clammy jade hands in her own ivory ones. "Do you really think-" she queried in disbelief. "I told you before and I'll tell you again. _You're _my best friend. Not Pfanne. Not ShenShen. _You. _

"Bu-"

"No buts, Elphaba Thropp. You _are_."

"But, Galinda," she started again. "I'm _green. _I'm a freak. I'm not worth attention. I've always known it. _They _obviously know it. Why don't you?"

The blonde chewed her lip before she finally came up with the rifght words to respond. "Because," Galinda said sweetly, "You told me your skin color helped you see people for who they really were, right? And that you wouldn't change it if you could, right?"

"Right…" she said softly. "But-"

"Well, you know what? As much as I hate the fact that I might be…" she looked around quickly before she lowered her voice to a whisper, "pregnant. And as much as I still have no idea what I'm going to do about it. I wouldn't go back to that night. I _wouldn't _change my choice if I could. I _wouldn't _not hook up with Fiyero, even if I don't end up keeping this baby," she said sternly, squeezing Elphaba's hands again and looking her in the eye. "Do you know why?"

Elphaba shook her head mutely.

"Because." she smiled, "that night changed everything. I didn't know _what _I was going to do. I still don't. But nonetheless, I'm glad it happened."

"Y- you are?" Elphaba asked, her face brightening in confused surprise.

"I am," Galinda nodded.

"Why?"

"Because, if it hadn't happened, I might never have become your friend." she said simply. "I meant what I said, Elphie; I've had so many friends, but _you, _Elphaba Melinda Thropp, you're the only one that matters," she said sincerely.

"R- really?' she asked, stunned. No one had ever said something like that to her before. Again, she felt her heart do a tap-dance in her chest as a tentative smile graced her face.

Galinda beamed upon seeing her friend's face brightened."Really. You're perfect, Elphie. Just the way you are. And one way or another, I'm _going _to help you see just how great you are." She pushed herself up off the ground and smoothed over her skirt. "Starting now." Her blue eyes shone as she offered her hand out to Elphaba who let out a small laugh and wiped her eyes.

"Where are we going?" she asked suspiciously. "What about Sorcery? Horrible Morrible will kill us if we-"

"Pfft," The blonde waved off her concern, and Elphaba was glad to see that, for now at least, she was back to her bubbling, scheming self. "Magic can wait," she assured her. "You," Galinda giggled with a mischievous sparkle in her eye, "are going to get pampered. Galinda style."

Elphaba was half-inclined to protest, but her curiosity won out, and she allowed the blonde to pull her back down the path.


	6. Galindified

**A/N: This kinda ran away from me lol, but I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical! **

**6**

**Galindifed **

After unknowingly permitting the fun-loving blonde to make her skip -literally, because otherwise she couldn't keep up- all the way back to their dorm on the third floor of Craige Hall, the green girl was becoming increasingly wary of what Galinda had in mind for her.

"Okay, Elphie," she chirped cheerfully, leading the witch to her fluffy, magenta bed and motioning for her to take a seat on her plush duvet.

Elphaba glanced uncertainly between the just-made bed and her bubbly roommate, quirking a brow as if to say, _Are you sure about this?_

Galinda smiled encouragingly, her blue eyes twinkling in barely contained delight of having someone new to play makeover on; though Elphaba didn't know that… yet.

The green girl kept her gaze locked on the blonde, but hesitantly lowered herself on the bed, not sure how she felt about the way her friend was looking at her; almost as if she were sizing her up for something.

_Oh, Oz, _the sorceress cringed. _Please don't let her make me go shopping!_

Galinda's grin stretched from ear to ear and she nodded in satisfaction when Elphaba had finally settled herself on the fluffy comforter. "Good," she smiled. "Now first-"

"Glin," the green girl interrupted before her friend could finish her thought. "This is really sweet but…" Galinda wasn't paying attention. She had now gone over to her vanity and was rummaging through its drawers, searching for something, though the witch couldn't be sure exactly what. A terrifying thought struck the emerald girl and her face paled slightly.

_If she tries to put makeup on me… _Elphaba shook her head in disgust. Despite what her roommate kept insisting, pink _did not _go good with green. She would look absolutely horrendible- Elphaba smirked to herself as she realized her perky friend's elaborate vocabulary was beginning to rub off on her- in any of the blonde's perfectly pink and peachy makeup. The sorceress looked on in disbelief as Galinda pulled one thing after another; notebooks, pens, nail polish- Did that girl own _anything _that wasn't some ungodly shade of pepto bismal?- out of the drawer.

"Ah ha!" Finally, she stood up, holding an opaque, pearl-colored hairbrush above her petite frame triumphantly. "Found it!" She scurried happily over to her side of the room and plopped on the bed behind her emerald roommate.

"Whoa…" Elphaba cautioned. Galinda's enthusiastic jump had made the green girl feel as though she were sitting on a waterbed. "Careful, Glin," she smirked with a playful laugh.

Her roommate giggled and Elphaba stiffened a bit as she felt Galinda's golden curls bounce against her own ebony locks. "Sorry," the blonde flushed. She tucked her knees under her and sat on her haunches.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elphaba saw Galinda raise the ornate brush toward her sodden, tangled raven tresses. She sucked in a startled breath and jerked forward, just away from her giddy friend's reach. The last person that had brushed her hair besides herself was her mother.

Galinda's brows creased in confusion at the green girl's sudden movement. She knew her reclusive roommate wasn't partial to human contact, but all she was going to do was brush her hair. It was what Galinda's mother always did whenever she was upset, and the swirling motions of the coarse bristles massaging her scalp as they gently straightened out all of her knots had always relaxed her. Did Elphaba not like her hair brushed? She had known a few people in her life who absolutely hated it, but the blonde could never understand that. "Elphie?" she wondered cautiously. "Is everything alright?"

"What?" The sorceress blinked herself out of the daydream she'd been lost in; another conversation with her mother, after a particularly bad day at school, when she'd gotten into her first fight with a munchkin boy because she was tired of people calling her a vegetable. Melena had spoken in soft, soothing tones after the young girl had finally stopped crying, running a brush through her hair and lulling her to sleep as the bristles tenderly massaged her scalp, calming her with their constant, unwavering motion… Just as Galinda was trying to do now.

She was trying to comfort her still, even after their talk by the sorcery building. Elphaba gulped and glanced warily back at her friend as the realization dawned on her. She wasn't sure how she felt about this development. She believed her, when Galinda said they were friends, but the fact that she was trying to relax her in the same way her mother once did.. that was a bit jarring. There was a part of her that liked the idea that someone else might one day come to know her as well as her mother had, but the bigger portion of her was terrified of what it might mean to show that much of herself to _anyone_, even if that one person could be _Galinda… _

Elphaba hurriedly brushed that thought away and offered her roommate a soft smile as she turned to face her. "I'm fine," she insisted kindly, wondering why her face was suddenly a few degrees warmer as she met the blonde's gaze. "Glin," she sighed gently, hoping her friend didn't notice how dark her cheeks were. "This is… uh, really sweet, but seriously, you don't have to do this." She wasn't sure whether she wanted Galinda to concede to her request or not.

"Nonsense, Elphie!" she waved her off. "I _want _to do this." The blonde studied her a bit before ducking her head shyly. "If.. if you want me to that is?"

Elphaba gaped at her incredulously. "I…" Honestly, she wasn't sure how to respond to that. Usually Galinda wasn't this shy. If she wanted something, and the person she wanted it from gave her the _slightest _indication that they _might _be okay with it, she would pounce on the opportunity faster than a nimble tigress. So, why was she being so timid now? She glanced at Galinda again and noticed the wistful, lost-in-the-clouds look on her face. The look she used to get whenever she talked about Fiyero.

_Could it be? _ Elphaba felt her heart flutter in her chest. Was it possible that Galinda actually reciprocated...whatever this feeling was that flared inside her at the sight of her bewitching blonde friend? When had that feeling even started? The sorceress shook her head vigorously. No. That was ridiculous.

Still… only those who… who loved her had ever made an effort to comfort her like Galinda had…

"El- Elphie?" The blonde pulled the contemplative girl away from her musings. "So, is it… is it okay?"

"What?" Elphaba stared at her inquisitively.

"Can I… can I brush your hair?" she asked again, nervously twirling the ornate brush between her hands.

"Oh!" The green girl flushed. "Y- yes. I think- I think I'd like that." She smiled shyly at her roommate. Galinda's face lit up like a Christmas tree and she let out a small, excited squeal before her cheeks pinkened. She gently brought the comb down on Elphaba's raven locks and began running it through her hair in smooth, long strokes.

"Just let me know if I'm pulling too hard, ok?"

"Mmm," her friend mumbled. She sighed in content as the familiar rhythm of the bristles begin to hypnotise her into a state of almost complete relaxation. She leaned into the blonde when she felt her put down the brush, instead using her hands to thread neat lines through Elphaba's no longer tangled or matted ebony locks. This mechanism was unfamiliar to the green girl, feeling another's fingers gently rubbing at her emerald scalp, but the longer it went on, the more she found herself enjoying it. She allowed her eyes to fully closed and lost herself in the comforting notion of human affection unlike any she had received in the eleven years since her mother died.

Galinda startled when she first felt Elphaba lean into her. She could see the green girl's emotional walls were, for once, completely absent. And, for the moment at least, she looked peaceful. She gently placed the brush back on the nightstand and begin to run her hands through her friend's thick, luxurious locks. She loved the feeling of Elphaba's coarse hair as it slipped continually in and out of her grasp, but even more, she enjoyed the way her roommate's perfectly smooth jade skin felt under her own. A soft glow burned inside as she felt Elphaba move further into her, moaning happily as her eyes drifted shut. Galinda smiled gently and kept massaging. She didn't know how long they stayed like that, but soon her wrists became sore and she reluctantly removed her hands.

"Mmm…" the sorceress grumbled, confused as to why Galinda's hands were no longer rubbing at her hair. She had become so relaxed she'd almost fallen asleep.

Galinda giggled and flexed her wrists. "Sorry, Elphie," she apologized, "but my arms were getting tired."

"Mmm, Glin?" she asked, her eyes fluttering open lazily. She smiled to see storm-gray blue eyes twinkling back at her.

"Hi, sleepy head," she grinned back playfully. "Enjoyed that, did you?" A smirk played at the edges of her bubblegum pink lips and Elphaba mock-scowled in return as she sat up.

"Don't tell anyone," she said seriously. Grinning sheepishly she added, "But yes, I did."

Galinda beamed. "Told you so," she taunted. She stuck her tongue out as if to confirm her point and the green girl swatted her with a pillow, laughing.

"Yeah, yeah," she retorted with a roll of her eyes. Then she turned to the bubbly blonde and offered a wide, genuine smile. "Thank you," she told her. It was hesitant, but sincere, and her chocolate eyes were shining a bit. "The last person to do that for me was- was my mother." She bit her lip and let her gaze drift to her lap as she twirled her hands together.

Galinda's heart swelled and broke at the same time, to know she was the first person to offer Elphaba such a simple form of affection in the past eleven years. But that explained everything perfectly. Her hesitance when Galinda had leaned forward to run the comb through her hair for the first time and the way she got lost in daydreams- most likely about her mother. Galinda smiled and blinked rapidly, taking Elphaba's emerald hands in her own. "Of course."

* * *

><p>For a tender moment, neither said anything. Then Galinda spontaneously lept off the bed and marched determinedly over to her vanity once again.<p>

"Wh- Where are you going?" the witch laughed at her friend's sudden spurt of energy.

"You have gorgeous hair, Elphie." the blonde explained as she shuffled through her drawers once again. "But no one can see your beautiful face if you hide behind it all the time." She triumphantly held up a black scrunchy that would match her friend's dark hair, along with some bobby pins. Elphaba rolled her eyes but made no attempt to move away as her friend scrambled back and reclaimed her place on the bed.

"Glin," the sorceress snorted. "I'm green. Green _is not _a beautiful color."

"Mmf couse et iz" She exclaimed through a mouthful of pins as she ran the brush through her friend's ebony hair one more time. She twisted it up into an elegant but messy bun on the side of her head and fiddled with the placement of the pins to make it stay. "The Emerald City isn't called _emerald _for nothing, you know."

Elphaba shrugged. "I wouldn't know actually; I've never been."

"Me either," Galinda admitted. "But you will when you meet the Wizard!"

The green girl sighed and winced a bit as Galinda pulled a little too tight on her hair. "I don't know, Glin. That might not even happen; Morrible just said she was sending him a letter, not that she could guarantee an _audience _with him," she pointed out.

Galinda laughed musically and wrapped her arms around the green girl from behind, startling her and throwing her off balance. "Oh, Elphie," she giggled, "you just have to have a little faith.

"If you say so," Elphaba replied, gently untwining the other girl's arms from about her neck. She got up and crossed the room, stopping in her tracks she caught sight of herself in the dresser mirror. "Oh.." she breathed, stunned. Her right hand gently moved upward to pat her new hairdo. It was swept to the side in an elegant bun that showed off the tint of dark red littered in the back of her hair that few bothered to notice. What was once matted and rough to touch was now smooth at silk. Elphaba gaped at her mirror self. Nothing much about her had been changed, but somehow, for the first time in her life, she was beginning to feel the slightest bit...pretty.

Galinda leapt off the bed and hurriedly tossed one of her spare sheets over the glass. Elphaba turned toward her, befuddled. "Galinda-" she protested.

"Ah ah ah." The other girl chided with a shake of her finger as she came over to stand behind the green girl. "No peaking 'til we're all done!"

"Done?" the sorceress quieted, her eyes suddenly narrowing in suspicion. "Done... with what exactly?" she asked.

Galinda clapped her hands together and her eyes sparkled in mischievous delight. "With your makeover silly!" she squealed, steering her emerald roommate over toward her vanity.

"With my make-" Elphaba shook her head and attempted to grasp the other girl's arm. "Glin, thank you for my new hair do. As much as I know it will be the death of me to admit this," she laughed breathily, "I really do love it."

Galinda beamed and the sorceress winced, knowing she had probably just given the over-enthusiastic blonde full licence to go makeover crazy if she so chose. Elphaba held up her hands and tried to stall the rapidly moving train of "Glindafication" she could sense heading toward her from a mile away.

"But you really, _really_," she stressed adamantly, trying to get her point across without being overly harsh, "don't have to do this for me."

The blonde didn't even bat an eye as she plopped the sorceress down in her cushy vanity chair and swivelled it toward her. "I know," she shrugged. "That's what makes me so nice."

"Glin," Elphaba hid a laugh as she huffed and tried again. "I _really _don't think a makeover will help anything." But even as she said it, she wasn't so sure. Just the small glimpse she'd gotten of her hair had made her feel like a princess. Did she really hate wearing makeup, or did she just hate the _idea _of wearing it because she'd been told for so many years that nothing could ever make _an artichoke _look pretty?

"Oh, shush, Elphie," Galinda admonished. "Just wait until I'm completely done before you tell me you can't look like a million bucks- no, make that a million _emeralds_." She chuckled a bit at her own joke and in spite of herself, Elphaba felt the corners of her mouth curling into the ever so smallest of smiles.

With no other choice, the green girl surrendered to her roommate. She was ordered to close her eyes, which, understandably, made the usually in control sorceress feel a bit uneasy. But she knew she could trust Galinda, and so obeyed nonetheless. "Why is this necessary, for me not to see?" she asked as she felt the blonde rub a light swish of eyeshadow above her right eye before outlining it with what Elphaba could only assume was an eyeliner pencil.

"Because, silly, I want you to be surprised."

"But I can't even see a mirror!" the green girl whined. "Even with my eyes open, I wouldn't be able to tell what I looked like!" She stuck her lip out in an exaggerated pout, satisfied when she heard her friend's musical laughter filter through the room.

"My dramatics are rubbing off on you, I see." her friend jested playfully as she applied what the witch could only define as sticky goo onto Elphaba's lips.

"Maybe so," she laughed back, sticking her tongue out. Galinda giggled again and Elphaba's insides tingled. She wanted to hear that sound more often. The bubbly blonde hadn't had much of a chance for fun lately since she found out her supposed secret had come true. The green girl's newly painted lips curled into a catlike smile as an idea struck her. It might be childish, but she knew it was almost guaranteed to make her friend laugh. She cracked one eye open a bit and asked cheekily, "Can I open them now?"

"No." Galinda grinned and shook her head, blonde curls slapping against her pink-tinted cheeks.

The sorceress obeyed and closed her eyes again. Only to crack the other one open a few seconds later. "Now can I open them?"

The blonde giggled. "Not yet. Patience, Elphie. Perfection takes time."

Elphaba nearly snorted at that comment; no amount of makeup could make her look like Galinda. _Galinda _was perfect. And she was far, far away from that.

Not wanting to let that suddenly depressing thought that she might never have a chance to be any more than a friend to her roommate linger in her mind, Elphaba closed the other eye again. Galinda hummed in satisfaction and went back to painting her eyelids- though the green girl had no clue what in _Oz _she was doing that could take so long- until Elphaba interrupted her work yet again. this time with both eyes open.

"How bout now?" she asked with a smirky smile.

"Hmmph," Glinda gave her a light shove. "You're just lucky I finished your eye makeup," she laughed. "Hang in there for a little longer- just one more thing to do."

Though her slits, Elphaba saw the blonde reach for what looked to be a container of blush. Her eyes flew open and she scooted the chair back. "Galinda! You can't use _pink _blush on _me_!" she protested. I'll look _horrible._"

Galinda sighed and tapped her foot. "_Relax_, Elphie." She drew back the lid to reveal a palette of green blush just a few shades darker than Elphaba's own skin. "See? I don't want to _hide _your green, it's too pretty for that. I want to _accentuate _it."

"Too... pretty?" she queried, nearly choking in bewilderment. Her chocolate eyes were wide and astounded. She stared at her hands in the same perplexed manner as she had the night of the Ozdust. Her gaze flicked between her palms and the beaming blonde as she tried to comprehend such a thought. "Galinda, is that baby making you _hallucinate_?" she sputtered. "Why _in Oz _would you want to _accentuate_," she thrust her arms out toward the blonde's face, "_this._"

"Because," Galinda smiled, forgetting the container for a moment and clasping her roommate trembling hands in her own. "I think it's beautiful."

"Galinda I-" Elphaba blinked back rapidly forming tears, both because she didn't want to smudge whatever makeup the blonde had spent so much time painstakingly applying, and also because she was simply tired of crying. No one had ever complimented her skin so honestly before. Except her mother.

Elphaba gulped softly and placed a hand on her fluttering stomach. Why was it that she was suddenly associating her bubbly, blonde, enthusiastic roommate with her calm, levelhead, loving mother so much as of late? And why did her stomach feel so…. pleasantly funny every time she thought of it?

_Maybe it's just because she's being nice to me._ Elphaba tried to reason. But her stomach knotted at the mere thought. The warmth that flowed through her was gone in an instant, replaced by a sickening fire that churned the pit of her stomach and for a moment she thought she was going to lose what little lunch she'd eaten.

"Elphie? Are you alright?" Galinda wondered, the concern clear in her voice.

The green girl gasped and tried to right herself. "Y- yes," she gasped. It was then she realized that she wanted Galinda to be _more _than her friend. She'd never even considered that a remote possibility until now, just holding on to the hope that the perky blonde might stay her first real friend. The fact that she was possibly starting to fall for her, that she might want a _girlfriend_? That rocked her to the core. Even though she was the _disgraceful _governor's daughter, she was still his daughter. And daughters of high-stature were not supposed to do things as scandalous as fall in love with another woman. The fact alone that she was even considering the notion would've been enough to give her father a heart-attack. Adding to that that the woman she could possibly be in love with was taken by a man _and _pregnant? Why, her father might just keel over and die right there!

As for Elphaba, the plethora of feelings that continued to surge through her for no particular reason were overwhelming. She hadn't a clue how to identify and dissect them, let alone what to do with them!

"Elphie?" Galinda asked, jerking the green girl away from her tangled web of thoughts.

"Yes, Glin?" Elphaba tried to smile a honest smile, glad that, for now she could just focus on the task at hand.

"Oh, good!" Galinda sighed exaggeratingly and a hand flew to her heart. "You frightened me for a minute, Elphie. You didn't respond and you seemed so… far away."

Elphaba bit her lip and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm sorry, Glin! I didn't mean to frighten you!" she implored earnestly.

Galinda's features softened and Elphaba's shoulders sagged in relief to see that her roommate wasn't angered. "It's ok," she grinned. Elphaba watched her features grew contemplative as she thoughtfully chewed her lip. "What - what were you thinking about?" she asked cautiously.

Elphaba ducked her head, wondering if her friend could see her flush under the thick coat of makeup she'd applied. The word flew out of her mouth before she could stop it. "You," she blurted. Her cheeks immediately flamed. She couldn't believe she'd actually admitted it out loud! She peaked at her roommate, who was staring at her in utter befuddlement.

"What?" she queried innocently. "I'm sorry, Elphie, I guess I was talking over you again." She laughed. "Now what did you say?"

Elphaba gulped. It was hard enough to say it once! Why did she have to repeat herself? It was only then that Galinda's words registered and she realized the blonde must have said something else at the same time she'd spoken. Had she said, 'Your mother?'? Elphaba thought maybe that could be so, and she quickly rushed to cover her blunder. "I... I said yes," she improvised. "Yes, I was thinking about my mother. You're the first person since she died to ever call me beautiful," she admitted self-consciously.

"Oh, Elphie." Galinda hugged her again. "If only you could see how right she was."

The green girl smiled. "C- can i look now?"

The blonde giggled and the sorceress felt her spin the chair around. "Yes...Now." She stepped back and anxiously awaited her roommates reaction.

* * *

><p>When Elphaba opened her eyes, she was speechless. Her hair was pinned back in the lovely loose but elegant bun she'd glimpsed earlier, and it framed her face perfectly. Her lips were painted a deep, burgundy red; it didn't clash with her skin at all, which looked radiant after Galinda had accented it with the darker green that Elphaba had initially detested. She never would have thought adding <em>more <em>green to her already jade skin could make it look so… good, but it was literally glowing from the effect. The look was complete with a light smoky eye; nothing too dark or dramatic, but just a simple silver accented with glittering sparkles and a bit of mascara. The overall effect was absolutely stunning, and Elphaba felt her lips stretch into a wide, bright smile the longer she looked at herself. Tears pulled in her eyes. For the first time in her life, she actually felt… beautiful. "Oh...Galinda..." she reached out a trembling to touch her mirror self, not quite believing what she was seeing.

"_Now _do you see," she asked, her own vision swimming, "how gorgeous you truly are, Elphie?"

"Oh, Glin..." she breathed, her voice thick with joyful tears as she spontaneously got up and wrapped her roommate in a tight hug. "How can I ever thank you?"

Galinda wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and reached out to brush the few stray tears off Elphaba's cheeks. "Don't cry, Elphie," she scolded with a laugh. "You'll smudge your makeup!"

Elphaba chuckled. "Oh, Galinda… Thank you. I never thought I could feel so.. well, glamorous. And all because of you."

Galinda shrugged modestly. "I didn't do anything, Elphie. You've always been beautiful, you just needed to see it."

"You did _everything_," the green girl insisted. "You became my friend."

"Oh!" She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief off the dresser. "Stupid hormones! Now you're making _me _cry," she giggled sweetly.

Elphaba laughed. "I do have one question though."

"Yes?"

"Well, I know you said you were going to pamper me; and believe me, I feel _extremely_ pampered." She grinned. "But why so... fancy? We're not going anywhere."

Galinda's smile widened and her eyes sparkled. "Well… _actually,_"

"_Galinda…"_ Elphaba's eyes narrowed.

"Get your coat, Elphie," she enthused "I've got one more surprise up my sleeve."

The sorceress sighed. "Glin!"

"You'll love it, I promise," she smiled. "Just trust me." She fixed her roommate with her best puppy dog eyes and squealed happily when she saw the green girl was caving.

"Oh, alright!" Elphaba sighed and threw up her hands in defeat.

"Yay!" Galinda hugged her one more time. Elphaba sniggered and with a reluctant eyeroll, she grabbed her coat and followed the bouncy blonde out the door.


	7. Funnel Cake and Kisses

**A/N: I'm really excited about these next few chaps! The brilliance behind the basic framework for how the next few chaps will unfold goes to my bff and beta, Charlotte Ashmore! I knew what I wanted, and then she gave me an idea I just couldn't pass up, but it threw off the timeline (in a good way) so she helped me get it back on track!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical! **

**7 **

**Funnel Cakes and Kisses**

"Glin, what are we doing here?" Elphaba tossed a highly skeptical look at her roommate and glanced around uncertainly. The bubbly blonde had dragged her to the annual Gillikin All Hallow's Eve festival just a few blocks away from Shiz.

It was the traveling version, so not quite as good as the real thing, but it lasted all month and made Galinda feel at home. She beamed as she took in all the familiar sights and sounds. People milled about in silly costumes, delicious scents of warm cinnamon funnel cake, caramel apples, and hot Honey Crisp cider filled her nose and tickled her taste buds. All around her, booths were stationed sporadically, exploding with sweet treats and Hallow's Eve activities; pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, a costume photo booth, a fun house, a hayride… and towering over the top of it all was a huge ferris wheel.

Galinda gasped in awe. She hadn't a clue how a traveling troupe of Gillikin's had managed to cart an entire ferris wheel all the way to Shiz, but she thought it was the perfect touch to enhance the carnival atmosphere. "Come on, Elphie," she chided. "Don't be such a spoilsport! I used to go to these fairs all the time back home and Popsicle and I always had the bestest time! There are game booths, magic shows…" She skipped ahead and pulled on Elphaba's arm, but the green girl stayed rooted to her spot.

"I don't know, Glin. This all looks a bit… gimmicky for me. And why is everyone dressed in such ridiculous clothes?" She pointed across the street to a man with cakey-looking white and black makeup smeared all over his face. He spotted a purple, gold, and green jester's outfit and was twisting himself up like a pretzel while making funny faces to amuse passers by. Elphaba couldn't see the humor in it.

"It's just what they do, Elphie. It helps them get into the Hallows Eve spirit, like little kids that go trick-or-treating and tell ghost stories when it gets dark. It's fun."

The sorceress shrugged. "If you say so."

"I do." Galinda smiled confidently. She tugged on her friend's emerald arm again. "Come on, let's just do _one _activity, and if you're still not having fun, then we can go back to the dorm. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get away from that school!" she declared enthusiastically.

Elphaba bit her lip and twined her hands together. She hated to disappoint the bubbly blonde, especially since she was finally feeling adventurous, but this _really _wasn't her area of expertise. She'd much rather be curled up in front of the library fireplace with a new book and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. "I… I don't know, Galinda. This really isn't-" But she was cut off by her roommate's crestfallen face.

"_Please,_ Elphie?" Her storm-blue eyes were wide and hopeful as her gaze flicked longingly between the stubborn witch and the cheerful chaos of the carnaval. "For me?"

Elphaba fought the urge to look away from her friend's pleading orbs and quivering lip. Oz, she looked so damn _cute _when she begged like this. Wait… _cute? _Had she just called her best friend cute? Condors took flight in her stomach and she swallowed hard. _Don't give in. Don't give in. You don't really want to be here. It doesn't matter how large those beautiful ocean-colored eyes of hers get, or how she'll probably be so happy when you say yes that you can hug her again without having to make up a reason, you're not going to… _

"Oh, Ozdammnit all!" She sighed and threw up her hands in defeat, helpless to resist her friend's incessantly adorable puppy dog eyes. "Alright!" she relented. "I'll go in with you."

"Yay!" Galinda squealed and pounced on the emerald girl, throwing her arms around her neck.

A dark blush crept up her cheeks and she hid a small smile. "But only for _one _game," she emphasized again. "That's about all I think I'll be able to take of this Hallow's Eve hokeyness." She rolled her eyes disdainfully, but Galinda paid no mind.

"You're the best, Elphie," she giggled. Then, on impulse, she stood on her tip toes and planted a quick, chaste kiss right on Elphaba's newly painted ruby-red lips.

Galinda closed her eyes for the briefest of second, reveling in the way her friend's soft lips felt under her own. Finally, she had worked up the courage to do what she'd wished for Oz knows how long. Her mind went blissfully blank and, for just one moment, it was only the two of them. No more worries of Phanne and Shen and their petty problems, or the new life slowly growing inside her, or her almost-boyfriend Fiyero… Oh, Shiza, Fiyero! Immediately her eyes snapped open and she pulled back. Her gaze stayed locked on the pavement as her cheeks flamed pepto-bismal pink. She didn't look up, afraid to see Elphaba's reaction. "Err… right," she mumbled, before clearing her throat and quickly shoving her buoyant demeanor back in place. "Come on, Elphie, let's head in." She hoped the emerald witch didn't notice how her voice shook slightly. Without looking back, she took her roommate's hand and dragged her into the welcomed whirlwind of the carnaval.

* * *

><p>Elphaba's cheeks burned. She moved her mouth, but was unable to form any words. Had that really just happened? Had Galinda actually… <em>kissed<em> her? It was a chaste kiss, she knew that. Surely it was nothing more than a thank you on Galinda's part, but Elphaba couldn't shake the feeling of intense warmth that spread through her from the inside out. Oh, how she wished Galinda had held on a little longer, or that _she'd _had the courage to pull her back and return the kiss. Instead, her bravery, and any sense of free will she possessed, vanished the second the bubbly blonde's lips molded so seamlessly to her own. Before she knew it, the short-lived moment of bliss was over and she was being dragged through the streets of the all-too-crowded Hallow's Eve festival.

Blinking, the sorceress forced her mind back to the present. Her eyes drifted around lazily, bypassing most of the traditional activities, deeming them far too frivolous for her taste. Then, she spotted the pumpkin carving booth and a small smile crept onto her face as a memory came flooding back.

_Her mother was frolicking merrily around the kitchen, singing to the tune of a funny Hallow's Eve song that blared from the small radio by the window. "On the fifth night of Hallow's Eve, Kumbrica gave to me, five creepy dolls, four ghosts a haunting, three banshees screeching, two witches flying and some skeletons from a creepy graveyard!" _

_Little Elphaba laughed as she rounded the corner. The sun was setting, shining bright orange and casting red and pink shadows along the usually pale yellow walls. On the island sat a large pumpkin. The young girl watched in fascination as her mother turned around and picked up a knife to cut the top of the gourd off. "Mama?" she asked, peering over the top of the counter. "Whatcha doin?"_

_Melena smiled down at her only daughter. "Hi, Fabala," she said. "I'm making a jack-o-lantern to keep the haunts away on Hallows Eve," she explained the old legend that had started the tradition. "Do you want to help?" _

"_Haunts?" Elphaba murmured, suddenly nervous. "You- you mean like ghosties?"_

"_Ghosts," Her mother grinned and put down the carving tool to pull the little girl in a sideways hug. "But, don't worry, my little frog, they won't be able to get us once I finish carving this." She gestured again to the now open pumpkin. _

"_They won't?" Elphaba scrunched her nose and looked hopefully up at her mother. "You sure?"_

_Melena laughed. "Of course, Fabala. You see, we're going to give this pumpkin a nice scary face-"_

"_But Mama!" Elphaba squealed suddenly. "I don'ts likes scary faces!" She buried her head in her mother's apron. Melena stifled another laugh and planted a kiss on her daughter's head. "They don't have to be scary to us," she reassured her. "Only to the ghosts."_

"_Really?" _

"_Mm hmm." Melena nodded. "And then we're going to put a candle in it; ghosts don't like the light."_

"_They don't?" she asked curiously. "Why not?"_

"_Because, sweetheart, ghosts are Shadow creatures. That's why they only come out at night."_

"_But, this will keep them away, right?" _

"_Right," she smiled. "Only first, we have to clean it out. You wanna help?"_

"_Kay!" Little Elphaba beamed and scampered up to sit on a stool opposite her mother. She looked in the gourd, dismayed to discover the inside was covered in clumps of orange, stringy-looking goop. "Mama?" she asked, not at all looking forward to sticking her hands inside. "What's I gotta do?"_

_Melena smiled and leaned over the pumpkin, plunging her hands in a pulling out a big ball of orange strings. "Reach in there and pull out all the strings." She smiled and gestured to a pan she'd covered with aluminum foil and placed next to her daughter. "Put the stuff you take out on there. I'll dig through it later and we can make roasted pumpkin seeds."_

"_Yay!" the little sorceress smiled. Then she looked down at the vegetable again and wrinkled her nose in contempt. She was still a bit skeptical about this idea, but she loved roasted pumpkin seeds, so she rolled up her sleeves and followed her mother's lead, plunging her small emerald hands into the gourd. "Ewww!" she squeaked as her hands squished around the sticky, burnt orange goo. "This stuff is ucky, Mama! It's all goopy and cold. And it's stuck to my hands!"_

_Her mother chuckled. "I know it's messy, Fabala, but it's kinda fun right?" _

_Elphaba studied her mother and contemplated that. It certainly didn't _feel _fun. Not at first, anyway. But the longer she let her hands mill about in the pumpkin, pulling out pieces of strings and seeds, the more she started to enjoy it. "Lookit, Mama!" she enthused when the pumpkin was almost all the way clean. She held up her sticky, emerald hands that were now dripping with orange strings. "I'm covered in pumpkin guts!"_

_Melena laughed and came over with a wet cloth to wipe her daughter's hands. "Indeed you are, my little frog. And we also have plenty of seeds to roast." She pointed to the now full cookie sheet. "Now, lets get you cleaned up and then I'll show you how to carve it." She led the little emerald girl over to the sink and squirted some soap into her hands. "What do you think we should put on it?"_

_Elphaba scrunched her brows together and thought hard. "Hmmm… A witch!" she decided happily. " Like Kumbrica! She and her aminals can chase the bad ol' ghosties away on her bwoomstick!"_

_Melena smiled and kissed her forehead again. "Alright then, a witch it is."_

Grinning at the memory, Elphaba gazed wistfully at the carving booth. Galinda noticed and smirked at her playfully.

"See something you like?" she giggled.

Elphaba blushed. "Maybe…"

Her roommate beamed and pulled her forward. "Well, come on then! Lets go carve a pumpkin."

* * *

><p>At the stand, the vendor set the girls up with two of the largest, ripest looking gourds he had. Elphaba smiled and dug right in, but Galinda simply stared at hers in baffled chagrin.<p>

"What's wrong, Glin?" The green girl was working to slice the top of her pumpkin off in a star shape, and she noticed with dismay that her bubbly blonde friend hadn't even picked up her knife.

Galinda eyed the intimidating looking vegetable with disdain. She'd gotten Elphaba here, so that was definitely a start. Carving pumpkins, however, was not the _one activity_ she had in mind. Far from it, actually. It was incredibly messy, or so she'd heard. She'd never actually done it herself. Her mother always said it was undignified for a lady to engage in such senseless activities as those involved in Hallow's Eve traditions. It was her father who had always taken her to the fairs as a child, and even then they were tediously careful to pick activities that didn't involve dismantling her picture perfect appearance. If Galinda had come home covered in pumpkin goo… She shuddered at the mere thought, wondering how many festivities she might have missed out on if something like that had ever happened.

Thus, the only experience she had in jack-o-lantern making was watching her maids do it. And her mother only allowed that to happen because they were practically a required decoration for every Hallow's Eve party, and any party thrown by the Upland's had to be nothing short of absolute perfection.

The only reason she was even contemplating making one now was because she'd seen the way her roommate's eyes lit up at the sight of the booth, and since she was almost positive this was Elphaba's first Hallow's Eve carnival, she was determined to do whatever she could to make this as enjoyable experience for the emerald sorceress as it had been for her as a child.

She flushed when she realized Elphaba was still watching her, waiting for an answer.

"Glin?"

"Sorry, Elphie." She gave the other girl a soft smile. "It's just that, well... " she rubbed her hands together and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. "I've never, exactly, carved a pumpkin before…" she confessed.

Elphaba's eyes widened a bit and her lips parted slightly. She almost laughed, thinking the blonde was only trying to tease her, because, after all, who had never carved a pumpkin? But, studying her body language, the green girl could see that Galinda was indeed very serious. It left a pang in her chest to realize that, for once, she had experienced something the privileged blonde never did. She brushed the feeling aside and attempted a gentle smile. "Oh! Well, that's ok, I'll teach you." She hoped she was doing a good enough job of hiding her shock.

Galinda looked up gratefully and her expression was washed in relief. "Really?"

The sorceress's smile widened. "Of course."

She came around behind Galinda, and the blonde sucked in her breath when Elphaba's shoulder brushed against hers, and stayed in contact as she reached across to pick up a black permanent marker, which she used to draw a circle atop the pumpkin. "Now, since you're a beginner, we'll start with something simple."

She motioned for her friend to pick up the knife, and when she did, Elphaba clasped her pale hand in her own and gave her a small smile. Again, Galinda held her breath at the unexpected contact. Elphaba lifted her hand over the top of the pumpkin, and together, they carefully cut along the neatly traced line. When that was done, Elphaba grasped the stem and effortlessly twisted the top off. "There." She stepped back, and Galinda instantly missed the warmth of her skin. "That wasn't so hard, huh?"

Galinda shook her head and smiled. Then she peered over the rim of the vegetable and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Elphaba thought it was adorable how utterly appalled she looked. "Ewww!" she squealed. "Elphie, we can't carve this thing! It's full of… goo!"

The green girl chuckled and stepped forward so she was leaning comfortably against the blonde. Galinda smiled softly. Elphaba moved to dig her hand into the core of the gourd, pulling out a ball of lumpy strings. "You have to clean it first," she explained. Then she burst out laughing at her friend's flabbergasted expression.

"Elphie!" Galinda gasped. "You can't be serious! I can't possibly touch that… stuff! It's… it's disgustifying!"

Elphaba's grin widened and she waved the sticky glob in front of her friend's face teasingly. Galinda inched away and the witch cackled. "Oh, come on, Glin," she encouraged. "It's not _that _bad!"

Her friend scoffed. "I _highly _doubt that, Elphaba."

The sorceress quirked a brow and curled her lips upward mischieviously. "You're not _scared _of a little goo, are you?"

"Me?" She laughed uneasily. "Of course not!"

"Good." Then Elphaba took the glob and smeared it all over her friend's cheeks. "Because now you're wearing it!" she chuckled.

Galinda gasped. "You _did not _just do that!"

The green girl smirked. "And if I did?"

The blonde scowled before plunging her hand into her own pumpkin."If you did," she smeared some guts of her own on her friend's smug cheek, "then so did I!" She giggled triumphantly.

"Oh, now you're gonna get it!" Elphaba brushed the goop of off her cheek and scurried over to her own pumpkin, scooping up a big handful of her own and lobbing it at the blonde.

The war was on.

For the next twenty minutes, both girls lost themselves in laughter as they continued to exchange pumpkin guts back and forth for no other reason save the fact that it was good, old fashioned, messy fun. Something neither of them had had in a very long time. They only stopped when they were both covered from head to toe in sticky glop and the vendor came over to tell them they would have to clean everything up.

"It's my fault," Elphaba confessed. "I started it, I'll be sure to put everything back the way it was."

Galinda shook her head. "Now Elphie, I was the one who threw the first goo-ball," she giggled before composing herself again and turning to the vendor. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. We'll take care of this."

The vendor studied the two girls before simply chuckling with a rueful shake of his head. The twinkle in his eye told them that he probably wasn't as cross as he had first let on. "Just don't let it happen again," he asserted. He tried to look gruff, but couldn't help himself from laughing as he strode away. "Ah, to be young again."

Elphaba and Galinda locked gazed and shrugged with matching, troublesome grins. With one flick of her wrist, the witch had the place and themselves spick and span once again.

They wandered back over to their now clean pumpkins. Elphaba helped Galinda carve a friendly looking ghost, and she herself chose to stencil a black cat.

When they were done, Galinda stepped back and admired their handiwork with a proud smile. "Thanks, Elphie," she blushed. "As much as it surprises me to admit this, I had...fun."

"Even the 'pumpkin gut war'?" she challenged jestingly.

The blonde laughed. "Yes, _especially _that. I haven't been allowed to just… let go like that in…forever. Since I was a little kid!"

Elphaba smiled softly and squeezed her hand. "I'm glad. Now, what should we do next?"

Galinda looked up, startled, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Next? So, _you are _actually having fun, Miss. I-hate-social-gatherings-of-any-kind?"

Elphaba turned a deeper shade of green and shoved the perky blonde, who only chuckled good-naturedly and pushed her back. "Alright, I'll admit it. I'm actually starting to really like this, hokey as it may seem."

Her roommate stuck out her tongue. "Told ya so."

The sorceress sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," she acknowledged, before gesturing around the park. "Now, since I picked this, what would _you _like to do?"

* * *

><p>They stepped out into the night air and Galinda started to shiver as she glanced around for something to do. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm, fiery glow all across the lawn. The once light breeze had picked up into a gusty though not intolerable wind, but without a jacket, Galinda had to hug herself in order to keep warm.<p>

Elphaba frowned and wrapped her arms about the blonde's shoulder, rubbing them gently up and down. Her roommate hid a smile as she nuzzled farther into the green girl. "Are you cold, Glin?"

"Ju- just a li- a little," she stuttered sheepishly as her teeth chattered in the chilly wind.

Elphaba pulled her into a quick hug and moved to take her jacket off.

"No," Galinda denied when she saw what her friend meant to do. "You can't give me your jacket, then _you'll _get cold."

The sorceress stopped short of pulling her arms out of the furry sleeves of the wool trench coat. "Are you sure?" she asked, wondering whether or not to heed Galinda's request or give her the coat anyway.

The blonde nodded and gave her a lopsided grin. "Really, Elphie, I'll be fine." She rubbed her forearms again. "Just as soon as I find a hot drink," she amended.

Elphaba smirked. "Right," she agreed playfully. "Well, until then, why don't I just-" She shrugged off her coat and draped it around the other girl's shoulders. Galinda gave her an exaggerated look, but pulled the warm fleece underside farther inward on her.

"Thanks," she flushed.

Elphaba offered a cheeky grin. "Of course." She squeezed her shoulders affectionately. "Now, let's go see if we can't find something else to warm you up, hmm? I know they have to have hot chocolate _somewhere _around here."

Galinda smiled. "That sounds great."

The two of them meandered around a bit, following their noses to a little booth nestled in the back corner of the fair by the petting zoo. The sign perched atop the stand read Simply Bliss Sweets. The blonde squealed in excitement and dragged Elphaba toward the booth. "Oooh! Popsicle used to bring me here all the time! We always got the yummiest cocoa from Welma- that's the store's owner back in Gillikin- oh, it was so good!"

Elphaba laughed at her theatrical antics. It was so sweet how the simplest things could excite her. "Sounds like it." She pulled a few bills out of her purse and pressed them into her friend's icy palm. "Buy one for me too? It's been far too long since I had a good, homemade hot cocoa."

Galinda stared at the bills for a second before determinedly attempting to hand them back. "I can pay, Elphie," she insisted, taking out her own wallet.

"I know you can." She gently took the ornate change purse Galinda had pulled out and gave back her own dollar bills. "But this is my treat. Consider it a thank you for bringing me here."

Galinda shrugged and hid a sly grin. "If you say so."

Together they walked to the counter where Galinda placed the bills on the table and ordered two steaming hot chocolates with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

"Here you are girls." The barista smiled and handed the mugs over.

Elphaba gripped hers with both hands and inhaled the glorious smell of pure, rich chocolate. She blew off the steam and carefully raised it to her lips, taking a long, satisfying sip. "Ahhh!" A wide smile spread slowly across her face; Galinda giggled.

"So, I guess you liked it?" she queried with a playful nudge before taking a delicate drink of her own.

Elphaba nodded vigorously. "This is great Glin, thanks."

"Thank _you _for paying. You didn't have to, you know."

"I know," the emerald girl shrugged. "I wanted too."

Galinda's cheeks pinkened and a small fleet of butterflies fluttered in her stomach. If anyone asked her why she was blushing, she'd blame it on the steam from the cocoa. She glanced at the green girl again, and hid a snorting laugh.

"What?" Elphaba asked, confused. "Do I have something in my teeth?"

Galinda sniggered and shook her head. "N- no, but you _do _have a whipped cream mustache!"

Elphaba's cheeks darkened as she suddenly became aware of the white foam dotting her lip and she hurried to find a napkin.

"No, wait." Galinda stopped her. "Let me."

"Huh?" Before she could say another word, the blonde's lips had molded to hers again, and her cherry red tongue lightly grazed the top of the emerald girl's perfectly sculpted upper lip to the tip of her nose as they licked up the whipped cream.

Elphaba shuddered from the wave of desire that pulsed through her body. She had to clench her hands at her size to stop from deepening the kiss. What was Galinda _doing_? Wasn't she with Fiyero? This was all so confusing.

Elphaba wanted her, Oz, how she wanted her! But she was _pregnant. _She was _perfect. She was with Fiyero! _At least... she was having Fiyero's baby.

Elphaba shook the nonsensical thoughts playing at the edges of her mind away. She couldn't, _wouldn't _do that do her, especially when she wasn't even sure what it was Galinda wanted or didn't want her to do. She wished she had the courage to just come out and ask, but she wasn't that brave.

"Better?" the blonde queried, stepping back.

"Glin… Elphaba stuttered. "Wha…."

Only then did it occur to the bubbly blonde exactly what she'd done. Her face paled visibly as realization dawned.

She had kissed Elphaba… again! And this time she couldn't blame it on excitement. Oz, what was she _doing_? She was supposed to be with Fiyero, not Elphie! She was _carrying his baby _for Oz's sake, and he didn't even know yet! Galinda's head was spinning. She had no idea what was happening, but it was like there was some sort of force... gravity? A magnet? Whatever it was it practically _yanked_ her towards Elphaba, as if _she _was the one who was perfect for her, instead of Fiyero. But… that couldn't be.. _could it_? Galinda shook her head. She didn't know what it was, but sometimes she just _couldn't _control the impulses. She _had _to be near Elphaba; kiss her, touch her, even just hear her laugh, or she feared she might explode from the sheer want of it. _What _was happening to her?

"I...I'm sorry…" she muttered. "I didn't mean… I mean, I _did _mean… I mean… Oz, Elphie, I…"

"Stop," Elphaba cut her off gently. "It's ok." Her voice was laced with a note of sadness and it killed the blonde to hear it, but she knew that was a cue to drop the subject, and so said nothing more.

Both of them stood in awkward silence for awhile, sneaking not so subtle looks at each other and sipping at their steaming mugs. Elphaba was becoming fidgety with all her whirling thoughts and she began looking for a distraction when she noticed her friend's gleaming blue eyes drift to the line of scrumptious looking treats lining the counter, and Galinda licked her lips as her stomach rumbled quietly.

"Hungry?" the green girl asked jestingly.

The blonde chuckled nervously and placed one hand self-consciously on her stomach. "A bit." she laughed. "I was never able to purchase a treat here before, other than the drink. If I ever came home covered in sticky sweets without Momsie's permission..." She winced at the thought.

"That bad, huh?"

Galinda nodded.

Elphaba bit her lip before breaking into a grin and setting another five on the table. "Well, then, why not now? You're a grown girl now, and a few sweets won't kill you." She winked mischieviously.

"Oh, Elphie, really?" her roommate squeaked happily.

"Why not?" she laughed. "It's almost Hallow's Eve, after all."

Galinda beamed before studying the menu with a contemplative expression. "There's too much to choose from!" she lamented. "How am I ever going to pick?"

Her emerald friend shrugged. "Don't look at me. I've never even heard of most of this stuff. Funnel cake? What in Oz is _that_?"

Galinda's eyes turned to saucers as she gasped. "Elphie! You've never had _funnel cake?" _

"Uh… no? Is it good?"

"Good?" Galinda shook her head. "Ok, that settles it." She handed over a bill of her own despite her friend's protest that she was perfectly fine with paying again. "We'll take one funnel cake please," she told the woman behind the counter.

When the cashier handed it over, Galinda held the package out to the green girl, who started at the sugar-coated, pretzel-like concoction with more than a little reservation.

"Go on, Elphie," the blonde prodded. Just break off a piece and try it. I promise you'll like it once you do."

Elphaba still wasn't convinced, but cautiously broke off a small piece and popped it in her mouth, chewing slowly with her eyes closed. The warm spice of the cinnamon combined with the sweet stickiness of honey and sugar on top of the soft, fluffy dough immediately coated her tongue and the witch moaned in blissful satisfaction. "Wow!"

"See?" Galinda nudged her.

"Now I do!" the sorceress enthused. "This stuff is great!" She broke off another, larger piece, smearing her cheeks with powdered sugar as she bit into the warm pastry.

Galinda giggled and took some for herself. "I'm glad." She turned and started back toward the festivities. "Now, lets see what else we can do before this place closes for the night."

They wandered the grounds until Galinda spotted something else she claimed to be just _dying _to do.

"Oh, look Elphie, hayrides!" She pointed toward where a carriage stacked with bales of hay was loading a flood of new passengers. Striding a few paces ahead, she stopped just before the line started. "Can we go? Please, please, _please?" _she begged.

Elphaba sighed. Carriage rides with a bunch of strangers certainly wasn't at the top of her "Ten Best Things To Do On Hallows Eve," but once again, she was rendered powerless to the puppydog pout. "Okay, Okay!" she relented reluctantly. "We can go."

"Yay!" the bubbly blonde squealed, jumping up and crushing her friend in an exuberant hug. The sorceress laughed.

"But, how bout we wait for the next one, ok? That one looks kinda crowded." She gestured to the cart, which was now almost overflowing with people as they inched closer to the front of the line.

The guide at the front of the line shook his head when they approached. "No can do, ladies. Fair closes in 90 minutes and the horses have to be fed and groomed before we all head out, so this is the last ride for the night."

"Oh." Elphaba's shoulders slumped a bit. She knew how much Galinda wanted to go on the ride, but she _really _didn't want to be sandwiched between all of those people. She turned to her roommate and asked hopefully, "Maybe we can come back tomorrow?"

Some of the light in her ocean-colored eyes disappeared at that suggestion. "But-" Then she thought the better of it and bit her lip. "Okay," she sighed listlessly.

Elphaba winced; she should've been relieved that Galinda had agreed with her, but instead, it made her feel guilty. They'd both been through the ringer with this pregnancy, and the green girl knew for certain that this was only the beginning. Galinda deserved a fun night out just as much, if not more, than Elphaba did. Plus, she hated seeing her sad.

The sorceress squared her shoulders. If it took being squished in a carriage full of costumed strangers to make Galinda happy, well then, that's what she would do.

She gently clasped her friend's wrist just as she began to sulk away and pulled her back. Galinda glanced up, her expression clouded with confusion. "Elphie? I thought we weren't-"

Elphaba silenced her with one emerald finger to her lips and smiled softly. "If you really want to go, Glin, we'll go. Oz knows you deserve a little fun tonight, and I can suffer through one ride."

Galinda's radiant smile melted Elphaba's insides, and she suddenly had an intense urge to reverse the roles from the sweets booth and pull the blonde into a kiss. The revelation shocked her, but she managed to stop herself before her emotions could overpower her senses. Unbeknown to her, Galinda wanted nothing better than to do the same to the green girl…plus more.

As they scrambled for a spot on the carriage, Elphaba was dismayed to find there was only one blanket left.

"It's not a problem, Elphie." Galinda waved her off when she voiced her concern. "We can just share."

Elphaba gulped as she slid on the bench next to her roommate, She folded her hands in her lap and tried not to show the tangled nerves that had taken up residence in her stomach. They were huddled so close their legs were touching, and the sorceress was keenly aware of Galinda's perfectly smooth hip that brushed against her own.

The coach ordered the horses to start moving once he was sure everyone was loaded and settled. Elphaba sucked in her breath and tried to squelch the ball of desire that had been growing larger inside her ever since Galinda's chaste kiss by the front entrance, and again only awhile ago.

Bit by bit though, the tension in her shoulders begin to relax and she let her arms drop to her sides.

She stiffened quickly however, when she felt Galinda's fingers rub against hers, but before she could pull away, Galinda had wrapped her own slender, pale hand around Elphaba's slightly clammy emerald one under the blanket. She gulped and fidgeted, meaning to untangle their grasps. Until Galinda smiled at her, her golden curls bouncing gracefully along to the rhythm of the carriage and sapphire eyes lighting up in the moonlight to look like the brightest stars of the night.

Elphaba grinned back tentatively and condors flooded her abdomen as, slowly but surely, Galinda adjusted herself so her head was positioned comfortably atop the emerald girl's shoulder. She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

At first, the new arrangement was extremely terrifying for the witch. She was acutely conscious of every little move she made, and forever panicking that she might do something to awaken the blonde. Gradually though, her breathing began to even out as she became accustomed to the position. Her left hand automatically reached up to card the blonde's smooth locks, and she grew so at ease that she eventually rested her own head atop her friend's and drifted off as well.

* * *

><p>Elphaba jolted awake with a start, and it was only then that she realized she'd fallen asleep in the carriage with Galinda's head resting upon her shoulder. She smiled down at her roommate, who was grinning softly with her arms wrapped about Elphaba's waist. She looked more at peace than the green girl had seen her in days.<p>

The sorceress did her best to stretch in the limited space she had as people piled off the carriage, before gently shaking Galinda awake. "Glin? It's time to get up, Sleeping Beauty," she whispered.

Galinda opened her eyes blearily, a smile curling up the corners of her mouth when the first thing she saw was a pair of warm, sable eyes. "Elphie?" she murmured as she sat up and stretched out the crick in her neck that came from sleeping on her roommate's shoulder. "Wha-?"

"The carriage ride's over, Glin. You slept right through it," she grinned cheekily.

Galinda stuck out her tongue. "Not my fault you're so warm and comfy," she defended before inspecting her roommate's light peach top- courtesy of Galinda herself of course, the only colors Elphaba owned were navy, black, and white. "Oh, no!" I didn't drool on that blouse did I?" she asked, momentarily mortified.

Elphaba chuckled. "Glad I make such a good pillow," she joked. "And, no. You didn't drool. You're adorable when you sleep," she added, before she could stop herself. Her cheeks flamed. "Uh, I mean…"

Galinda giggled and blushed. "Good."

Elphaba laughed breathily. "Right, um… are you ready to get going? It's getting kind of late."

"Aww!" the blonde pouted pitifully. "Is it that late already?"

Elphaba gave a rueful laugh. "Tell you what," she bargained. "Let's head toward the exit, and if you see _one more place _where we _have _to stop, we can go in, ok?"

It turned out, there _was_ something else they had to do. Well, that _Galinda_ had to do. Elphaba dreaded the place the minute she saw it.

"Oh, look! A fun house!" She sprinted toward the entrance. "I love these places; especially the room with all the crazy mirrors, don't you?" she enthused, turning toward her roommate, who stood frozen in place.

No, Elphaba _did not _love fun houses. In fact, she detested them. They were just another way for people to make fun of her, _especially _her skin. Not only was she green in there, but stretched and fat and… those fun houses seemed to give her every unattractive trait possible, and she hated them. No _way _was she going in there. And she _especially _wasn't going in there with _Galinda. _As if it wasn't enough of a shock to realize she might be attracted to her when she was (possibly?) with Fiyero, but now she was being asked to stand next to her, in all her perfectness, and be compared in _mirrors? _A carriage ride, she could handle, but _this_? Uh uh.

No way, no how, was she going inside that personal torture chamber. It didn't matter how much Galinda begged, she was _not _getting her in there, Period.

"Elphie?" she asked worriedly. "Are you ok?"

Elphaba shook her head. "Glin, can we just go? I really, _really hate _fun houses."

"You do?" Galinda's brows shot up in surprise. "Why?"

Elphaba focused on the ground and bit her lip, suddenly embarrassed. "Because…because I'm already green, alright?' she burst out in exasperation. Then she lowered her voice sadly. "I don't need to go anywhere where the soul purpose is to make someone look unattractive. Even with your makeover, you can't change the color of my skin."

Galinda caught her lip between her teeth. "Oh, Elphie, you _are _attractive, you _know _ I think that! Remember how pretty you felt today?'

"Well… yes.. But-" she interacted.

"No buts, Elphie. Besides, fun houses aren't about being 'attractive," they're about just letting go and being silly, no matter who's watching.

"I know, but Glin, I still don't-"

"Come on," she encouraged. "It'll be fun!"

And before Elphaba could protest any further, Galinda was tugging her through the door.


	8. Not So Fun in the Funhouse

**A/N: Sorry it's late, but here's chap 8! Enjoy! The ending scene credit goes to my co-author and beta Charlotte Ashmore!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical! **

**8 **

**Not So Fun in the Funhouse **

Galinda felt Elphaba's clammy palm grab hold of her own. The grip was so tight, her hand started to tingle as they wound their way up the rickety steps into the fun house and through the darkened doorway. The green girl's nails dug into her palm, leaving bright red marks as they neared the entrance to the first of many wide open rooms. She glanced back at her roommate's emerald face that was now schooled in a perfect mask of blankness. Her chocolate eyes were locked on Galinda, but they were vacant, as if she were looking right through her. The blonde winced upon seeing that look; she had only witnessed it one other time, on their very first day at Shiz. Elphaba got upset when she was not assigned a dorm with her sister and accidentally lost control of her magic. She feared Horrible Morrible would expel her then and there, and it terrified her to think what her father might have done had that happened. Of course, she didn't want anyone to know that, so she'd schooled her features then too. The mask she wore now was almost identical to that day; it was the wall she put up whenever she was absolutely, truly, petrified.

Galinda bit her lip and swallowed, hoping she was doing the right thing by dragging her friend in here. She smiled softly and attempted to give the witch's hand a reassuring squeeze. A little light came back to her sable eyes, but she still couldn't manage more than a weak curling up of her lips that Galinda wasn't sure whether was meant to be a smile or a grimace.

Elphaba swallowed hard and struggled to keep herself from hyperventilating as Galinda giddily yanked her through the dark, looming doorway of her own personal hell. Words could not express the intense urge she had to turn around and bolt, reasoning and adorable ocean-blue puppy dog pout be damned. But she really didn't have any option to protest. She felt her perky friend's gaze lock onto her pensive expression, and she did her best to morph her features into a cool mask, but she couldn't be sure if Galinda bought it. She watched the bubbly heiress chew her lip in worry and shivered. It was becoming quite scary really, how easily they could see through one another sometimes. She tried for a soft smile when she felt her roommate squeeze her cold, sweaty palm in gentle reassurance, but by the way her lips twitched, she knew it had come out far more like a grimace. Sill, the blonde's exuberance did not waver, and it sincerely rivaled the trepidation...no, abject fear...that churned in her stomach. _What have I just agreed to? _she groaned inwardly.

She closed her eyes as they inched closer to the bright, vibrant colors of the first open room, and prayed to whoever would listen that this would be the _one _fun house that _did not _come equipped with a mirror room. She shut her eyes, not wanting to see what lay ahead. It confused her though, when she felt Galinda tug on her hand and lead her up another flight of stairs that she hadn't remembered seeing.

Cracking one eye open, Elphaba realized they were standing on a staircase whose pattern was almost identical to that of the black and white checkerboard colored floor, save for the fact that the tiles on the staircase were arranged slightly tilted to the ground below them. Elphaba only knew there was another step in front of her because of the ornately carved banisters stationed on either side of her and the fact that the tiles took on a sudden vertical design every time she needed to step up. The witch's mouth gaped and she glanced around, marveling at the craftsmanship that went into the maze-like room. The walls were decorated with ornate, black framed water-color painting of all the Ozian legends: Kumbirca, Lurine, the Time Dragon, the Wizard. Each painting depicted a different part of their various lores. The Wizard arriving in his famous balloon, the classic portrait of Kumbrica with a bore sucking at her breast- presumably painted to represent the fact that she gave animals the ability to speak, thus transforming them into Animals- Lurine on her sleigh, delivering presents to all the children of Oz as the moonlight made the white snow beneath her glisten… there were too many for Elphaba to process them all, but the artwork was done with amazing detail. In spite of herself, the sorceress felt her lips curling into a small smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Galinda," she breathed with an amazed laugh. "What _is _this place?"

Galinda was relieved when she felt the tension slowly seep out of the green girl's shoulders and noticed the slightest of smiles grace her face as she took in the room around her. Hopefully, Elphie really _would _have some fun. "It's the maze room!" She laughed and her eyes glinted with mirth. "The stairs-" Just then, the staircase tilted and moved, causing Galinda to tumble sideways into the emerald girl, who caught her, but in turn was pushed sideways as well, only to be stopped from falling off by the banister.

"Whoa!" Elphaba gasped when the staircase settled again. The bubbly blonde pulled on her arm and quickly tugged her onto the nearest black-painted wooden platform before the stairs shifted once more. "What just happened?"

Galinda laughed. "That's what I was tryng to explain! The stairs, they move once every few minutes or so. There's about six sets, and you have to figure out their pattern in order to find the exit. Used to take Popsicle and I forever to do."

"So… it's like a puzzle?" Elphaba asked curiously. Her eyes sparkled with a twinge of excitement. She loved puzzles.

"Exactly," the blonde smiled. Then a conniving smirk curled its way onto her beautifully flawless features as she came up with an idea. "Think you can do it faster than me?"

Elphaba smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge, Glin?"

"What do you think?" She winked suggestively and took off down the second set of stairs, giggling all the way. "Catch me if you can, Elphaba!"

Elphaba smiled and her eyes glinted with competitive spirit. "You're on."

Galinda's laughter echoed through the hall as she crazily made her way from one set of stairs to the next, and was occasionally shocked off balance when they made sudden moves. Elphaba, on the other hand, was far more strategic about the whole thing. She stayed on the first platform and watched as each staircase rotated, keeping a close eye on her roommate in case she ever were to fall.

After about ten minutes of scrutinizing the floor plan, Elphaba smiled to herself as she spotted the perfect pattern to reach the platform that housed the exit door on the far left side of the room. Unconsciously, she drew her hand away from her side. Her nimble fingers moved to the rhythm of her mother's favorite piano piece and she made a few small gestures with her wrists. A glittering green line appeared below her, leading her to the exit.

The witch beamed. Since training with Morrible, she was slowly becoming more comfortable with her magic. The one time she had used it in their dorm, that had been out of impulse, to keep Galinda from seriously hurting something by hurling that blasted clock. Other that that, she was usually too afraid to expose her powers. They were tied to her emotions, so she never knew what they might do. This was the first time she'd managed a spell, simple as it was, completely on her own, besides fixing the mirror in Craige Hall. Elphaba glowed with pride as she raced down the stairs, barely taking notice of her friend's slightly irritated protests.

"Hey!" Galinda huffed when she noticed the glittery trail ripe with the electric tingle of magic whizz over her head. Within the next second, an emerald blur raced passed her. She beamed when she caught sight of the sorceress's radiant smile, and hurried to catch her as the stairs shifted again.

"You… cheated," she panted when she skidded to a stop before ramming into Elphaba as they reached the room's exit almost in tandem.

Elphaba smirked triumphantly. "You never said I couldn't use magic," she shrugged.

"But… that's no fair!" Galinda stomped her foot in mock exasperation and and stuck out her tongue.

Elphaba laughed and playfully shoved her. "Next time, remember not to race with a witch," she replied.

Galinda chuckled. "Oh, Elphie," she chided.

The sorceress merely raised an eyebrow with a slightly cocky smile. Galinda couldn't help her heart from beating faster in her chest. How could someone so… green and horrendifyingly annoyable also be so… cutified and endearing at the same time? The blonde felt her cheeks heat up as a smile matching the emerald girl's graced her face. A shy giggle escaped the blonde's perfectly sculpted lips.

The sorceress smiled to herself in the darkness. She leaned into the bubbly blonde and allowed herself to be tugged through the mysterious passage. Her shoulders tensed a bit at the prospect of what might come next, but the successful spell had given her a much needed confidence boost, so though butterflies still fluttered in her stomach, she wasn't quite as terrified as she had been when they'd first begun this tour.

* * *

><p>As Galinda felt her way through the darkened passage- a feature added to enhance the mood and give each room an element of surprise- she felt Elphaba's palm become clammy once again. She tightened her grip a little and looked back, but since they were deeper in the building now, she couldn't make out her friends glorious emerald features. "Elphie? You alright?"<p>

The sorceress trailed along behind her enthusiastic roommate. Her heartbeat had quickened as they entered yet another unidentifiable hallway. She wasn't afraid of the dark, but walking into the unknown had always made her uneasy- though she did her best not to show it. She detested the fact that whatever was around the next bend would remain unknown to her until she encountered it head-on. How in Oz was she supposed to prepare herself for a room full of mirrors if she couldn't _see _it? Still, after the much needed confidence boost given to her by the logic of the maze room, she wasn't quite as apprehensive about what may lay ahead. She let out a whoosh of air and forced her shoulders to relax a bit, before grinning into the darkness at the back of the blonde's bouncy, golden curls. "Yes, Glin, I'm- I'm fine," she assured her sweetly.

Galinda grinned. "Good. I couldn't see you back there, and you were being so quiet, I was beginning to worry."

"No need," Elphaba replied with a gentle squeeze of the fair-skinned girl's shoulder. "I'm here. And that last room was actually kind of… entertaining," she admitted cautiously.

Galinda stifled a giggle and swallowed the urge to say 'I told you so.' "I'm glad." Then she stumbled over what she could only assume was an uprooted stone tile. "Whoa!" She lurched forward with a start, thrusting her hands outward and wincing as she prepared to brace herself on the hard floor. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but never felt it. Instead, a strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist and hauled her back to her feet.

"I got you." Galinda's eyes popped open and she let out a sigh of relief, glad to be back on solid ground.

"Thanks," she smiled sheepishly, hoping she was assuming correctly and making eye contact with the witch. "Ozdamn, why must it be so dark in here?" she huffed.

"Need a little light?" Elphaba queried, and Galinda's brows creased in confusion.

"Yes, but…"

Elphaba's hands trembled, but she wanted to try this. She closed her eyes and tried to even out her breathing. The incantation swam behind her eyelids. She took a deep breath and opened her left palm, fingers outstretched, wrist relaxed. Her right hand lifted and, almost automatically, cupped itself slightly above her open palm. She ignored the fluttering of her stomach as she felt the strong current of magic tug at her abdomen.

Doing her best to follow the commands Morrible had taught her, she willed the current to a slow, steady stream. She sighed in relief when she felt the familiar tingle of electric energy pulse through her fingertips. It was brimming at the surface, begging to be set free, but Elphaba fought to restrain it. It was a simple charm she wanted to accomplish, but harder than fixing a mirror or eliciting a tracking spell for a few minutes. This required her to make something of nothing, to take the enormous mound of energy that had possessed her all her life long, and harness it into just a small stream in order to bend it to her will. She had to be careful that she always stayed one step ahead. If the magic ever overwhelmed her… there was no telling what could happen. The stress was only heightened by the fact that Galinda was only a few inches from her; she didn't think she could bear it if her one, true friend was ever hurt because of her mysterious and strange magic.

"Elphie?" Galinda asked, worried by her friend's sudden state of rigid concentration.

Summoning all her courage, Elphaba drew herself up and calmly recited the incantation as it echoed in her mind. "_Ignis accendit via,"_ she chanted steadily, grinning when the words flowed of her tongue without a hint of a stutter or stumble to give way to her nervousness.

"Elphaba? What are you- Sweet Oz!" Galinda breathed in transfixed disbelief.

Elphaba's eyes flew open at the note of surprise that laced her friend's voice. Her mind whirred, and she was terrified to see what might have happened. To her relief though, a simple, purple flame glowed brightly, hovering just above her open palm and casting a violet shadow around the previously dark walkway. She smiled briefly, but her grin, and the flame, faltered when she noticed the look on Galinda's face. Her delicately groomed eyebrows had made their way to her perfectly parted hairline. Her mouth was slightly open, eyes wide and twinkling in the flamelight, but Elphaba couldn't tell whether it was from freight or amazement. She winced and looked down shamefully, but just before she went to close her emerald hand around the flame to squelch it, Galinda carefully took hold of her fingers, cautious to avoid the flames, and stopped them from curling into a fist.

"What are you doing?"

"I- I was…" she trailed off and her eyes darted back and forth between the small flame hovering just off her palm, and Galinda's face. Her expression was gentle now, but the spark behind her eyes was clear as day, even in the low light. It was hard to read her face, and that made Elphaba nervous.

This was the first time she'd really seen what her emerald friend's magic was capable of, really watched her as she cast a spell, and that made her extremely, uncomfortably vulnerable. The glitter path in the room before had lasted only a few seconds, and Galinda had only seen remnants of the spell. The mirror and clock incidents didn't count. She wasn't even sure if Galinda had been _aware _of the clock incident, with the state of shock she was in, and Elphaba had fixed the mirror when she was in the bathroom. What if Galinda hated her for what she could do? What if she was… frightened? She had every right to be. Everyone else was, so why not her? Elphaba took a stumbling step back. It unnerved her that she couldn't identify the emotion on the blonde's face. _What _was going on in that blissfully blonde head of hers.

"Elphie?"

"I… I was going to get rid of the flame," she admitted, and her sullen tone caused its light to dim.

"Whatever for?" Galinda asked. "We can _see _now! I won't trip anymore!" She giggled, but was concerned when Elphaba only managed a weak smile.

Elphaba bit her lip and stared into the violet flames. "I- I didn't want to frighten you… or or hurt you…" she confessed. Her voice was so quiet the blonde had to strain to hear it.

"Frighten me? But why would you think…?" She gasped as she realized what her initial shock must have sounded like to her roommate. All her life she had been scorned for her magic. People had run screaming whenever it got out of control- Galinda had seen it first hand, on their very first day of Shiz, but back then, she hadn't bothered to think about what Elphaba might be feeling; her only focus was the fact that she had been unsuspectingly forced to room with someone the color of broccoli, and that she wanted to associate herself with her as little as possible. Now, thinking back on that day, the fear and disgust that had been cemented on everyone's faces as they scurried away as quickly as they could, the hushed whispers and attempts to dart away as she crossed the common room of Craige Hall … but most of all, the utter defeat that had graced her features, if only for a moment, a millisecond after the incident occurred, Galinda's blood boiled. It was only then that she realized that Shiz had been a new start for Elphaba as much as it was for Nessarose. But, clearly, it had turned out just the same as her other schools. Elphaba felt her magic had ruined her second chance, and the apprehension that clouded her features now nearly made the heiress's heart crack in two. She grasped her friend's free hand and held it tightly, rushing to reassure her. "Oh, Elphie, no! You didn't frighten me! Not in the least."

Elphaba looked up tentatively. Her eyes were tired, and Galinda could tell the price of keeping the flame lit was beginning to wear on her, but even so, it glowed a little brighter as a tentative flicker of hope flared in her chest. "R- really?"

"Really."

Elphaba chewed her lip, seeming to contemplate this. No one save her mother and Morrible had not cowered from her magic before. "But.. but your voice. When I lit the flame… it sounded so… scared. And your eyes… they were wide as saucers, Glin. How can you say you weren't afraid?"

"Oh, Elphie!" Galinda sighed. I didn't do or say those things because I was _frightened_!"

"You… didn't?" Elphaba's brows creased and the flame burned brighter still.

"Oz, no! In shock, yes, because I hadn't expected it, but not frightened! I could never be frightened of _you_." She smiled fondly in the firelight.

"But.. why? You've never seen my magic before… not really anyway. And everyone who does..." she trailed off, and the flame begin to flicker, starting to die. Galinda closed her eyes and sent a surge of energy through the sorceress, who looked up curiously as the flame burned back to life.

"I'm not everyone," she saId simply. "You forget, Elphie, that I've been studying magic too. I'm not nearly as powerful as you of course, but I can do a thing or two."

Elphaba offered a small smile. "True, but-"

"And you also fail to remember-" she interjected. "That I too witnessed your little… episode on our first day at Shiz. And I _didn't _run."

Elphaba scoffed. "That's because you were too busy trying to play teachers pet to Horrible Morrible," she pointed out.

Galinda giggled. "True. But nonetheless, I have never been afraid of your magic. Shocked, yes. But never afraid. It was… it was actually one of the reasons I disliked you so much-"

"Disliked?" Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure you did a little more than just 'dislike' me, Glin."

Galinda huffed. "Okay, _loathed_. Either way, it wasn't _just _because of your green skin." She bit her lip, afraid to admit what was on her mind. "I… I was jealous…." she confessed guiltily.

Elphaba almost choked then.

The flame disappeared completely for a second, and Galinda squealed as the cavern was plunged into sudden darkness. She gripped Elphaba's hand a little tighter and waited impatiently for the witch to regain her composure. She sent another wave of magical energy surging through the green girl, it's intensity heightened because of her fear, and sighed in relief when the flame came blazing back to life. It illuminated her roommate's beautiful emerald face, whose features were apparent with bafflement and disbelief. Galinda stomped her foot and crossed her arms resolutely, her perfectly smooth features molding into a slight scowl.

"Elphaba! I know I usually have a flare for drama, but was that really necessary?" I nearly had a heart attack!"

The sorceress managed a small chuckle. "I'm sorry, Glin," she rasped, still trying to wrap her mind around what had just been said. "It's just… The great Galinda Arduenna Upland, of the Upper Uplands," she added with a playful smirk. The heiress scowled and stuck out her tongue, "jealous of _me_? A spinach colored freak with a despicable magic glitch that chooses to make itself known at the least opportune times? A girl who essentially killed her own _mother_-"

"Elphaba!" the blonde snapped. She hated hearing her roommate berate herself, but the green girl ignored her.

"Why in _Oz _would you be jealous of _that?_" She scoffed at the very thought, despite knowing that Galinda would try and prove her wrong.

"Melena's death _was not _your fault!" the blonde seethed again. "That was the _Milk Flowers. _It was your blasted father who made her eat those stupid things because he was too cowardly to admire your beauty for what it is!"

"I'm not-"

"Ozdamnit, Elphaba!" She stomped a few steps away before realizing she couldn't see without the glow of the witch's fire and begrudgingly stalking back toward her and fixing her with an exaasperated glare. "Don't you _ever _listen?!"

"I…" Elphaba stepped back and the flame wilted again. She was too shocked to respond.

"I thought we'd been over this!" Galinda continued to rant. "You may not think your're pretty, Elphaba, but _I _do. I think you're the most beautiful shade of _emerald _ I've ever seen, and you're father was a fool not to recognize it."

"But I killed-"

"No, you _didn't_. Don't you get it? _This _is why you can't see yourself for the amazing person you are. You keep bringing up your same old excuses."

"_Galinda!" _Elphaba was appalled and rapidly blinked the steady stinging stream of tears away. How could she _say _such things?

Galinda's heart lurched as she realized how badly her words had cut at her roommate, but she needed so desperately to make her see herself for who she was, To stop blaming herself for things she couldn't control, and start appreciating her own gifts. Elphaba had taught her that with this pregnancy, and though she was still no where near ready to embrace it yet, it looked like the student would have to be the teacher. She stepped closer to the green girl and gently reached up to wipe her tears away. "You know that, don't you?" she asked, quieter this time, "That they're all excuses? All those horrible things you tell yourself. They're not real, you know."

Elphaba blinked and shook her head, ebony hair swinging wildly. "But they _aren't _excuses, Galinda. They're my _life. _They're who I _am_."

Galinda's eyes flashed defiantly. "No, they're who everyone _thinks _you are. But I know who you really are Elphaba, and its certainly not that stranger you just described."

"Oh?" the witch mocked skeptically. "Then tell me, who _am _I?"

Galinda ignored her jeering tone and pushed ahead, smiling sweetly and brushing a light hand to her emerald cheek, which looked radiant in the firelight. "You," she began, and Elphaba gasped at the endearment, care, and determination that propelled her voice, "are a beautiful, talented witch with an amazing view of the world. You have a tough exterior that you use to shield yourself against the despicable being whom you are forced to call your father and anyone who means to cause you harm. You have a large, caring heart despite suffering years of abuse at the hands of your peers, but hardly anyone ever gets the chance to see it because you push them away before they get the chance, not because they hurt you, but because you're afraid they will. You have incredible protective instincts and are quick to defend those you love. You have a captivating, intelligent mind, and an adorable habit of sticking your tongue out of the side of your mouth when you concentrate. You have a sharp, witty tongue that can often get you in a world of trouble, but is also unspeakably entertaining. And you have magic beyond the abilities of anyone else in Oz."

Elphaba was stunned into silence by Galinda's words. No one had ever seen her so well, so deeply before. No one had taken the time. She was at a loss for what to say.

"But most of all, Elphaba, you have amazing strength. No matter the situation, you always find a way to remain strong. It's one of the things I admire most about you. Even when you barely knew me, you wasted no time assuring me I'd be okay, even when it felt- feels- like the world's crumbling around me. You're truly amazing, Elphaba. I wish you could see yourself, the way I see you." She ended her speech, smiling broadly at the emerald girl, who could only stare at her in befuddlement.

"You… you really think all those things about me?" she whispered, not quite sure what to make of all Galinda said.

"Of course I do," she assured her tenderly. "I just wish you could see them for yourself."

"Glin, I… I can't."

"You can," she countered. "It just takes time. And you have to stop putting yourself down. It's just what you told me the other day, remember? Those things that you hate so much, they're just a part of you."

At that comment, the hope that lit Elphaba's eyes faded and her shoulders slumped slightly. "That's what I've been trying to-"

"No." The blonde shook her head."You didn't let me finish. Your green skin and your magic, they're _part _of you, just like this baby and my chipper demeanor and obsession with clothes are _part_ of me, but they're _not ALL _of me. You should know that better than anyone." She squeezed Elphaba's trembling hands. "You saw it in me, so why not in yourself?"

Elphaba bit her lip. "It's not that simple, Glin." she said sadly. "It's-" She trailed off, but thankfully Galinda understood.

"I know. Years of words and perceptions and expectifications-"

"Expectations," the green girl corrected gently.

Galinda rolled her eyes. "My _point _is that those things won't go away overnight, but they'll haunt you forever if you don't even try. Trust me…" She shuddered to think of the shallow airheaded heiress she'd been before Shiz- before Elphie- had changed her. "I know."

Elphaba looked down, catching her lip between her teeth. She didn't want to meet her friend's adorable, encouraging, hopeful gaze. She still couldn't fathom why someone as perfect as Galinda would ever want to fraternize with an outcast like her. But a gentle, ivory hand carefully lifted her chin so their eyes were forced to meet. Elphaba's swimming, warm, broken sable with Galinda's faithful, bright? ocean blue.

"Promise me you'll at least try?" she pleaded.

Elphaba sighed. Galinda's lips were so close to her own now, and the desire was becoming overwhelming. She had no choice but to agree. "O-okay," she conceded shakily. "I'll try."

"Good." Galinda offered a wide smile before she pulled away, and again, Elphaba cursed herself for not having enough guts to kiss her. "Now," she continued, wrapping her arms about herself. "Let's get out of this hall. It's getting drafty in here, and I don't want you to drain yourself with that flame."

The sorceress glanced down at the once strong fire, which was slowly dimming to a slow ember as her magical energy diminished. "I'm fine, Glin," she insisted.

Galinda rolled her eyes, "Never the less, you stubborn green thing," she chided playfully, "even with your flame, I'm growing rather chilly, and I want to see what's in the next room.

Without further word, she grabbed Elphaba's hand and led her through the corridor.

* * *

><p>As they rounded the corner, Elphaba caught a glint of something shiny. It sparkled like a diamond, reflecting her small fire in its pristinely polished surface.<p>

A mirror.

Immediately, her breathing sped up. Her heart began to thump against her chest, and her palms became as frigid as the coldest ice. She gently slipped her hand away from Galinda's and tried to steady the rapid intake of breathes. The flame flickered in and out, but despite her best efforts, she couldn't get the flame to stay lit. "Ozdamn!" she hissed under her breath as panic welled up in her chest. She wanted to run. To turn around and never look back.

"Elphie? You okay?"

But Elphaba couldn't answer.

They were here.

All around her, mirrors gleamed, mocking her in there opaque perfection. Each was a different shape, and yet, everywhere she turned, she only looked more and more hideous. Too tall, too fat, to thin, too short, even too curvy. And all of them glowed with the profound shade of her despicable, slime colored skin. She turned and turned, but there was no where to hide, no where to escape, The images sneered at her, every one more cynical and jeering that the last. With each turn, she was reminded of another insult, another cruel nickname, another reason she was such an abomination.

_Vegetable. _

_Did you see her? What a freak. _

_Vagabond. _

_That's probably the only way she can make friends anyway, magiking them to like her._

_Artichoke. _

_Surely that _can't be _the Eminent Thropp's little girl. _

_Witch. _

_Do you think she's a bastard's child? _

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will the voices away, but the comments reverberated in her memory, playing on an endless loop, like ghosts come back to haunt her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Tears brimming, she turned to bolt. But, before she could, a slender pair of arms wrapped themselves securely around her waist.

* * *

><p>"Elphaba?" the blonde skidded to an abrupt stop as she giddily entered the hall of mirrors. The rhythmic click-clack of her roommate's heels were no longer behind her. She turned to the door, dismayed to see that her friend was frozen in terror. Her eyes were wide and crazed, her mouth open in an unspoken scream. Her hands quaked, fists clenching and unclenching at her sides, as if she was trying unsuccessfully to regain control over something. Her eyes were shut tighter than the blonde thought possible. Her beautiful features were contorted in a gut-wrenching picture of pain, and Galinda shuddered to imagine what awful thoughts were echoing through her mind. She looked down and noticed the green girl's feet begin to shuffle rapidly. Instantly, the blonde recognized this tell-tale sign. She was going to repeat the scene from the lunch room.<p>

She wanted to run.

Only, this time, Galinda wasn't going to let her.

Carefully and calmly, she made her way back to the door and stepped behind the trembling green girl, refusing to let her disappear again. That time had passed. It was time to face her inner self, that one part of her that held her back and kept her seeing that she was lovely both inside and out. She needed to see herself as Galinda saw her, see for herself how _beautiful_ and wonderful she really was.

She wrapped her arms about her waist, holding her gently but firmly. _No more running, Elphie. _She thought as she rested her chin on her shoulder and hummed in pleasure, reveling in the feel of the green girl in her arms. _Not from me, and not from yourself, either. _

"Look, Elphie," she encouraged soothingly. "Don't be afraid. Open your eyes and see what I see."

"No," the sorceress rasped in a terrified whisper, not wanting to see the tall lanky frame, the dull mud colored eyes or the unfashionable...ugly...green skin that made her a freak.

"Elphie, look at how beautiful you are." the blonde persisted gently. Her fingers caressed the skin of her belly through her top and a low moan escaped the green girl's lips.

"What are you doing, Glin?" she asked, her voice no more than a breathless whisper as her heart threatened to gallop out of her chest, heat pooling low in her belly. Whether she wanted to or not, there was no denying the attraction, the raw desire she felt for her friend. She relaxed her trembling form and gave in to the pleasant tingle running along each and every one of her nerve endings, placing herself in Galinda's capable hands. Come what may, she knew she'd never be the same.


	9. Mirror, Mirror

**A/N: First of all, I want to give a big THANK YOU to Doglover645 for nominating me in this years Wicked Greg Awards! Such an honor! And MEGA thanks to anyone who votes for me as well! It gives me such warm fuzzies to know people like my story that much! This year's Awards are being graciously hosted by NellytheActress and voting goes until Dec. 21, so if you haven't cast your ballot in a review, get to it! Lots of very talented writers up this year! Good luck to all! I adore you!**

**Second, I am SO TERRIBLY SORRY for the fact that this update is almost a week late, but I think it turned out amazing and I couldn't have done it without my bff, co-author, and beta Charlotte Ashmore! I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical! **

**9 **

**Mirror, Mirror**

Elphaba's breath hitched in her chest, an uncomfortable weight threatening to rob her of the precious air her lungs craved. Tiny pinpricks of light erupted behind her closed lids as she squinted her eyes tightly closed. She wouldn't… couldn't… bear to look at her image reflected in the multitude of mirrors. They surrounded her on all sides, taunting her with the sight of her freakish appearance and it was too painful to bear. Panic rose within her like a snarling, clawing beast and all she wanted to do was escape, to flee the nightmare world of the mirrors. But Galinda's firm but gentle hold about her waist refused to release her, refused to let her run. She was forced to make a choice: either stand frozen like a jade statue or do the worst thing she could possibly imagine… face her fears.

Galinda's voice was whisper soft against the shell of her ear, her tone filled with caring concern."Elphie? Elphaba, what's wrong?" she asked softly, resting her chin on Elphaba's shoulder. Her muscles were stiff and tense with raw terror. Galinda frowned. "Relax, Elphie. There's nothing to be afraid of. I... I've got you."

Elphaba let out a long breath, her eyes still squeezed as tight as she could get them, the peaceful darkness shielding her from the petrifying room that she knew lay just in front of her. She attempted to steady the rapid movements of her chest, feeling herself becoming slightly dizzy from her current pattern of rapid, panicked breathing. She concentrated on the comforting touch of Galinda's warm, smooth skin resting against her own frigid emerald arms. Her lips quivered in fear, but she let her body ease back into her friend's soft curves, drawing strength from the girl's protective embrace. Galinda wouldn't allow any harm to come to her, wouldn't allow her tormentors to prey on her, ridicule her, pierce her cool, jade flesh with the acidic barbs of their words. Galinda cared about her; she knew that much- though it was still a difficult notion to completely wrap her head around. Even so, she couldn't gather the courage to force her eyes open again and fully face the sight before her.

The heiress smiled briefly when she felt Elphaba's stiff frame mold to hers for comfort. But as her gaze drifted to their reflections in the mirror, she was dismayed to note that her friend's gorgeous features were still contorted in crippling pain, lost in Oz only knew what horriendible memories, present and past. Galinda gulped, hoping her old self was not party to her roommate's current stage of torment. "I can't help you if you won't talk to me," she admonished softly, her glossy pink lips brushing against the sorceress's ear as she whispered the gentle words. She kept one arm about the witch's waist as her fingertip stroked along her arm from wrist to shoulder. "Tell me."

"I-I can't," Elphaba groaned, afraid to tell her closest friend of her weakness. She already had skin the color of grass and a strange brand of dangerous magic that she was scarcely able to control. If she admitted to… loving her… No! There was no way… nothing Galinda could do would ever make her open herself up enough to feel that vulnerable.

But even as she said it, she felt the tension easing from her body as Galinda's fingers on her bare skin worked their own brand of magic.

_What is she doing to me?_ she thought frantically. Heat unfurled in her, spreading through her like a brush fire, and making her want to arch into the soft touch of Galinda's fingers swirling comforting little circles on her belly.

"Open your eyes, Elphie," the blonde commanded gently, her voice urgent as her own breath fanned over the glorious emerald skin beneath her lips. "Trust me," she implored soothingly. "I would never let them hurt you." She moved her hands over Elphaba's sides, stroking gently, carefully, trying her best to soothe the girl, hoping she wouldn't shy away from her caring touch. She was trying to go slowly with her so as not to frighten her with the feelings that were akin to a rampaging beast within her own body. She'd never felt such desire with anyone, least of all Fiyero. Only the little witch in her arms had ever made her hunger with passion and a need so great it threatened to consume her.

A moan escaped Elphaba's parted panting lips as Galinda's thumb brushed against the sensitive underside of her breast, a desperate, needy sound she hadn't realized she even knew how to make. "G-Glin, what-"

"Open your eyes, Elphie. You need to see what I see," she encouraged. Elphaba squirmed restlessly against her, the throbbing ache between her legs intensifying at the softly uttered words whispered so sweetly, Galinda's tone a tantalizing caress against her ravaged senses.

Elphaba couldn't resist the call of the siren that held her so tightly pressed to the gentle swell of her curves. Her lids slowly slid open. She gasped at the sight before them, reflected in the different looking glasses. Each mirror cast back a different size or shape of the occupants trapped within, but there was no denying it was them and the sight before her...her own reflection..Except, it wasn't. She'd never seen _that_ expression on her face before. Her eyes were bright with raging fire, but not the burn of usual anger she'd become so accustomed to. No this was different. They were blazing with a passion, an excitement so raw and deep she'd never seen it freely displayed on the face of _anyone, _least of all her own. Her emerald skin was flushed, but it shimmered in a way she'd never even been aware could exist. It radiated warmth and a calm, serene glow, despite the elation that coursed through her veins. She looked positively wanton.

A wicked smile slowly drew the corners of Galinda's petal soft lips upward and she couldn't resist pressing a light kiss to the emerald flesh beneath Elphaba's ear. "Do you see what I do, Elphie? You're so incredibly beautiful," she whispered hotly "You're flushed with desire. You look _happy_. You look _loved_. Is that what has you so frightened?"

Elphaba stayed silent, but nodded ever so subtly.

"When you look into the mirror," Galinda continued softly and the rich, velvety tone of her voice made a joyfully shiver skip the length of Elphaba's spine, "you see something ugly, but when I look-" her voice trailed away as she gathered her courage. She bit her lip, bracing herself for the rejection that was sure to come. "When I look at you, I see the woman I want more than anything in the whole of Oz."

Elphaba gasped as their eyes met in the reflection of the one mirror in the entire hall that showed their clear, normal selves. She wasn't alone in her feelings? Galinda wanted her too? The deep burning passion in the deep blue eyes of her friend confirmed that without her having to ask...she could see it clearly. The knowledge that she was accepted, for her true self, her unnatural outward appearance as well as her inner beauty, left her weak and she was relieved that Galinda held her so tightly, unsure if her legs would continue to hold her up.

"You… you want me?" she asked shakily, still needing to hear the words. No one had ever loved her, not like this, and the thought that someone ever could.. it always seemed preposterous. She was always afraid that if anyone said they did, it would only end in some sick joke.

But not with Galinda. She could hear the raw honesty in her voice, see it written on her face. She _loved _her. Really, truly loved her. And Elphaba didn't have a clue what to do about it.

"Oh, yes," Galinda breathed, trailing her lips along the girl's emerald jaw, her eyes never leaving the sable eyes staring back at her. Her tongue darted out to rasp against the rapidly beating pulse point beneath Elphaba's jaw and the witch let out a keening moan of pleasure. "Yes, I do. So much!"

"But… why? How could you, in all your perfect, bubbly pinkness-" she cracked a smile as Galinda's sweet laughter trilled through the halls "want someone like… like _me_?"

Galinda said nothing, instead she relaxed her grip, turning Elphaba in her arms so she could gaze deeply into her friend's eyes instead of the mirror eyes she'd only seen previously, a smile of pure joy on her lips when she saw her feelings reflected just as clearly in Elphaba's sable gaze. "Because _you,_" she whispered hotly, her voice dripping with want and longing she had denied herself for so much time, "are beautiful." Her warm palms rose to cradle the witch's face in her hands, tilting her chin up as she slowly closed the distance between them.

"What's in here, do you suppose?"

Elphaba sprang away from her friend, eyes wide with fright as the voice intruded on them from the corridor they'd come through earlier to reach the hall of mirrors.

"Crap!" she cursed in a heated whisper. "Glin-"

Galinda held a finger to her lips and grabbed the witch's jade hand, pulling her along behind her to the exit that would take them back into the crisp fall air.

* * *

><p>Elphaba's breath came in panting gasps as she and Galinda raced away from the funhouse. Her heart thudded against her chest and her cheeks burned, though she couldn't be sure whether the amped up feeling of adrenaline coursing through her veins was due to the fact that she and Galinda had almost been caught kissing… or the fact that she had bothered to try and kiss her at all. An odd, warm sensation still glowed through her in the most… unexpected of places. The feeling of Galinda's soft, silky skin as it had gently massaged light circles on her stomach. The jittery tingles that threatened to turn her into nothing more than a pile of mush, and the burning, raging fire that rested just behind her crumbling exterior when the blonde's magic working fingers found the sensitive underside of her breasts. She could feel her elation returning just thinking about it. Her roommate's giddy laughter filtered through the air, and it was only then, in her passion filled stupor that she noticed their hands were still twined together.<p>

The blonde pulled her to a sudden stop. Her eyes glittered with longing and the same, joyously raging fire that was reflected in Elphaba's own sable orbs. Galinda's golden hair bounced in the early moonlight as she giggled gaily and turned the green girl to face her. "We made it, Elphie!" she squealed before bounding into the tall Thropp's arms and giving her a tight hug.

Started, the sorceress chuckled as she swayed back and forth, trying to regain her footing. "Glin," she laughed, "did you somehow get high on the way from the hall of mirrors to out here?" Elphaba was giddy herself, her whole body tingling, and she practically shook with pleasure, but she wasn't quite sure what to make of this Galinda. Her voice was higher and more energized, and her eyes sparkled in a way the green girl had never seen before. It was obvious from the light in her eyes that she too was just as deliriously happy to have her feelings reciprocated, but there was something else there too. A ravaged wanting glinted behind her outwardly ecstatic demeanor, and, as much as it intrigued the green girl, it also left her feeling petrified. What if she wasn't good enough? What if they tried and it didn't work? What if... the witch shook her head. Too many unnecessarily frightening questions roamed her mind. She needn't worry about such things now. Galinda had only just admitted her feelings. Elphaba had seldom felt love, and she _never _thought she would ever be deserving enough to be loved in this way. Least of all by the person from whom she found herself most craving it. She needed to get used to the idea. They both did. Still, the sudden eagerness in the blonde's gaze made her slightly queasy.

Galinda was thrillified. She still didn't know what kind of crazy emotional spell had propelled her to act as she had in the hall of mirrors. All she knew was that she longed to keep her friend safe. To comfort her. To make her feel loved and wanted.

And so, she'd done it, in the only way she knew how.

They'd grown so much closer in the past few weeks than Galinda could ever have dreamt. Ever since the night of the Ozdust, she'd begun to notice her feelings for her mysterious emerald roommate intensifying. First there was the realization that she wasn't in fact, the heartless, sarcastic green-bean that everyone thought her to be, but simply a lost, lonely girl who'd never been taught how to love herself, let alone give anyone else a chance.

And then came the empathy. It began to tug on Galinda's previously shallow and self-absorbed heartstrings when she saw the green girl cry, and she'd shocked even herself by wanting to be the one to comfort her.

Next came the trust. She was quick to trust Elphaba with her biggest, deepest secret… or one of them, and slowly but surely, she could see the sorceress was starting to learn too. To learn that Galinda meant what she said, that she wasn't going to repeat the deeds of all the other selfish people in the green girl's life, and run away simply because she thought herself too difficult and troublesome to care about. That Galinda really was there to stay.

There was also the rage. The fierce sense of protection that shoot through her body and intermingled with every cell when a heartless joke was made, or cruel rumor started.

And then, finally, the love. That was the slowest of them all to develop, but even that had blossomed within only a week. She knew though, that it was real. Not by its intensity, for she knew there would always be highs and lows, but by its sincerity. By the fact that, the more Elphaba pushed her away to save her, the more Galinda was determined to stay. To prove to her that she wasn't the monster of her own nightmares, as she so often seemed to think. To have her feelings reciprocated was more than she could possibly put into words. Her heart glowed with so much happiness, she feared it might actually burst. Her little witch loved her.

"Only on you," she purred in answer to Elphaba's earlier question.

The response made Elphaba's blood run cold for a second. She hadn't expected such a straight, nor seductive, sounding answer. A grumble of desire escaped the back of her throat, but the bigger part of her was just shocked. "Galinda-"

"Just shut up and kiss me, Elphie," she invited coyly, leaning in to match her lips with the emerald girl's.

Elphaba gasped, taking a small step back just before the blonde's lips could merge with her own.

Galinda stumbled forward and fixed Elphaba with a confused glare."What was _that_?" she huffed. "Don't you want to kiss me? You sure did a few minutes ago!"

The green girl flushed, and lowered her gaze to the leaf-littered ground. Too many emotions swirled around at once. It wasn't that she didn't want to kiss Galinda. Quite the opposite in fact. But… She wasn't good at this. At loving. At being loved. And she was certainly _not_ gifted in the romantic art of kissing. The mirror room had filled her with a surge of feelings she couldn't even begin to describe, and for a moment, she wished they could have stayed there forever.

But they couldn't, of course. Those two buffoons- Oz damn them!- had interrupted the first intimate situation Elphaba ever had the pleasure of encountering, and now her nerves were shaken and shot. She needed time to gather courage before she was ready to try that again. "Oh, Glin, no! Of course I want to kiss you, really." She bit her lip. "But…"

"But what, Elphie?"

Elphaba's gaze darted around, thinking quickly. She didn't want Galinda to know she was still afraid she wasn't good enough for her. Then she spotted the Ferris wheel and her lips morphed into a mischievous smile. "But first, I want to show you something."

"What? But-" Before Galinda could protest any farther, Elphaba grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the long line to board the massive structure.

When they stopped at the back to the line, Galinda gulped and her hand's became slightly clammy in the green girl's emerald palm. "Glin?" she asked, her brow furrowed in puzzlement.

Galinda's pale complexion became ghostly as her eyes widened while they took in the grandeur of the traveling Ferris wheel. She swallowed hard and tried to keep her voice from trembling. "I- I really don't think this is such a good idea," she stuttered nervously.

"Why not?"

Galinda shook her head and caught her lip between her teeth. Her cheeks took on a pinkened tint as she confessed, "I'm… not so good with heights."

"Oh," Elphaba said. "Well, then maybe we shouldn't…" she trailed off and started to pull out of line.

Galinda winced at the sad tone in her voice. Her large, sable eyes cast one more longing glance at the towering ride and the blonde's resolve crumbled. _Damn her for being so cute! _She grabbed the green girl's hand and yanked her back into place with a gentle smile. "No, wait. You went in the funhouse and opened your eyes in the mirror room for me, it's only fair that I do this for you."

The sorceress cringed a bit at that. She hadn't been trying to pay Galinda back for their little funhouse jaunt. It was just something she thought might be fun for the two of them… _And get Galinda's mind off kissing. _She'd always loved being up high. When she was up in the clouds, she felt peaceful, in control, like nothing could hurt her. Was it a bad thing that she wanted to do something for herself, as much as she wanted to show it to Galinda?

_No, _she reasoned. She deserved to do something for herself once in a blue moon. But if it made Galinda uncomfortable… "Glin, you don't have to-" she started.

"I want to, Elphie," the blonde cut her off. "Besides, it's not so much _being _high that I'm afraid of as it is… falling from said height."

Elphaba stifled a small laugh. "Well, I promise, you won't fall out of this. It's perfectly safe."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"How do you know?" she queried, still uncertain.

"My mother took me to one once, when I was really little. Up there… you feel lighter than air. Like nothing can touch you," she sighed wistfully.

"R-really?" Galinda offered a tentative smile.

"Mm-hmm. And you'll have the best view of the whole town."

"I will?"

Elphaba nodded. "Trust me, my sweet, it's magical."

"My sweet?" Galinda asked, her smile widening at the unexpected pet-name.

Elphaba's cheeks darkened and her eyes once again met the pavement as she realized what she'd just said. She cleared her throat and fumbled to undo the little slip up. "I… er…I mean… only if you like it." She blushed heatedly.

Galinda giggled. "Of course I like it, silly! You gave it to me after all."

"You do?" Elphaba grinned sheepishly.

"Of course, _Elphie._ I was wondering when I was going to get a nickname from you," she smirked.

"What about 'Glin'?" Elphaba asked, creasing her brows. "That doesn't count?"

The blonde tapped her chin. "Mmmm… I suppose. But I like this one better." She winked and nuzzled closer to the green girl.

Elphaba laughed and put one arm around the blonde. "Alright then, my sweet it is," she smiled. Galinda hummed in pleasure.

* * *

><p>"How many?" By now they were nearing the front of the line. An employee dressed in an all black uniform with orange buttons and an orange stripe on his left shoulder stood by the velvet rope. He unclipped it and let the couple before them enter the loading area before turning to the two girls.<p>

Elphaba smiled and squeezed Galinda's hand, which was now sweaty and cold. The blonde gulped and tried for a small smile, but it felt more like a cringe. "Two," the green girl grinned.

The moderator nodded and removed the rope once more. He glanced at the wheel and lead them to the last empty seat. "Looks like you're in luck, ladies. Last car before the ride's full up."

"Thank you," Elphaba nodded.

"Not a problem, Miss." The worker tipped his hat before heading back toward his post at the front of the line. "Enjoy the ride," he added with a smile as he turned back to the crowd. "Sorry folks." He gestured to the still extensive line. "Last ride of the night. You'll have to come back tomorrow."

The sorceress slid into the seat closest to the wheel, pulling Galinda along with her. She relaxed back into the burgundy cushion and crossed her ankles as she waited for the ride to start. She looked completely at ease. She tossed an encouraging, lazy smile at her roommate, and the sweet grin almost made the other girl go weak in the knees as Elphaba patted the seat next to her. "Come on, my sweet, sit."

The blonde however, was parallelized with fear as she glanced back at the white-washed wooden seat and its flimsy red cushion. She swallowed, and carefully sat down. As she lowered herself, she put her left hand behind her and cautiously felt the seat. She drew her hand back almost immediately after to came in contact with the tweed fabric, almost like she expected it to catch fire, or fall right through the wood it was perched on. The green girl stifled a chuckle at the exaggerated reaction. Galinda glared at her before staring straight ahead, working hard to even out her breaths and gripping the sides of the bench like a vice. Her knuckles turned as ghostly white as her frightened complexion from the intense grip, but she didn't dare let go. Elphaba noticed her friend's stiff posture and frowned in concern. She placed one emerald hand on the blonde's pale wrist, smiling to herself when she felt some of the tension leave the other girl's petite frame at her touch.

"Galinda?"

"I- I'm f- fine," the blonde stuttered. Her breathing was slowly becoming more rapid, and she refused to meet the green girl's gaze.

Elphaba bit her lip and raised an eyebrow at the debutante's unconvincing insistence. She hated seeing her friend so afraid, but they couldn't very well get off, not with the workers gearing up the ride to start any minute. "_Galinda," _she repeated, "you are most certainly not fine." She gestured to the armrest. "You're holding that thing in a death grip," she pointed out.

The blonde looked over at her tense arm. which by now was beginning to ache from the strong grasp she had on the side. She blushed and sighed in defeat, loosening her grip. "I- I'm sorry, Elphie, I just…" She shook her head. "I _really hate _heights."

Elphaba winced as those same words reverberated in her head. Only last time, they'd been coming from her about the eyes drifted to the ground again, ashamed that she'd made Galinda do something that scared her. "No, I'm sorry, my sweet, I… I shouldn't have made you get on," her voice was filled with remorse. She was surprised to hear Galinda sigh and feel her right hand completely loosen from its fist and wrap around her own.

"Elphie," she admonished with a shake of her beautiful golden curls. Her tone was more confident now, but an edge of fear still wavered. "When will you stop blaming yourself?"

"Huh?" The green girl looked up, startled at her sudden change in attitude.

"_You _didn't force me to get on. I told you I would. You went in the funhouse, so I'm going to do this. I just have to uh, get used to the idea of the um, tallness first." She laughed nervously as she eyed the big, round structure once again.

"But… Glin. I don't want to make you do this just to please me,' she tried to explain again.

"You're not," she insisted adamantly. "Besides, you ended up enjoying the funhouse, right?" She winked and Elphaba's cheeks colored a deeper jade.

"Well… Er… Yes," she confessed. "More than I've enjoyed anything in a long time."

Galinda beamed. "So, maybe this will suprise me too," she reasoned. Elphaba had the courage to face her fears, she would do the same.

"I hope so, my sweet," Elphaba smiled.

Galinda giggled and pecked her on the cheek with a delicate blush. "I know I will," she assured the green girl. Then she glanced down at the thin leather strip holding her to the seat and gulped. "But… um… are you sure it's… are you sure it's safe?"

The sorceress scooted over and wrapped one arm around the smaller girl's shoulders. Galinda murmured happily and snuggled into her roommate, "Don't worry," she assured her, "It's perfectly safe."

Just as she finished the sentence, the Ferris Wheel started to move. Galinda let out a startled squeak and clung to the green girl's midriff. "Oooh, El-Elphie!" she squealed. Her hands were trembling.

"It's alright. Just relax. Soon we'll be at the top, and you'll be able to see all the way to the Wizard's palace in the Emerald City," she enticed the shaking blonde.

"I… I will?" she asked. Her eyes were still clamped shut, and she despised the feeling of her legs hanging over the side.

"You will. But if you want to see it," she teased with a playful smirk in her voice, "You'll have to stop squeezing me like that fluffy cat you sleep with and open those beautiful blue eyes."

Galinda's eyes popped open. "How do you know about Misty?" she hissed, embarrassed for anyone to overhear she still slept with a stuffed animal- especially when it stormed- she hated storms. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms angrily over her chest, but the sorceress merely rolled her sable eyes.

"Oh, please. I'm your _roommate_. Of course I know you sleep with a stuffed animal."

"But," the blonde pouted, "I didn't know about your little green bottle!"

Elphaba snorted. "That's because it was _hidden_. And let's face it, Glin, you're not always the neatest person in Oz."

"Hey!"

The green girl laughed. "I found Misty in the laundry hamper last week; thought she probably wouldn't appreciate a bath via spin-cycle, so I stuck her back on the bed."

Galinda's eyes widened. "So _that's _where I put her! I looked _everywhere_!"

The sorceress smirked and her roommate flushed upon realizing what she'd just admitted.

"Um, you won't… tell anyone, will you?" she asked sheepishly, "'Cause if word got out…"

Elphaba chuckled and scooted a little closer to her fiend. "Worry not, my sweet," she assured her, "your secret's safe with me."

Galinda smiled, "I know."

They rode a little ways more in silence, but as the ride reached its crest, the green girl gently nudged her roommate's shoulder, grinning softly when she noticed the blonde was once again dozing off on her shoulder. She wasn't quite asleep, but her eyes fluttered lazily, and she looked mere seconds from melting off to dreamland.

"Galinda," she whispered in a sing-song voice she'd seldom heard herself use. "Glin." She gently shook her shoulder. "Glin, my sweet, wake up."

The debutante's eyes sleepily cracked open. "Mmm… Elphie?" she murmured, "Wha-?"

"Look," she enthused quietly, "we're at the top. And see over there? That's the Wizard's palace."

Groggily, Galinda pushed herself into a sitting position and following her friend's hand. The sight before her made her gasp aloud in awe. Below them, the entire realm of Oz seemed to be twinkling in the moonlight. To the left were the bright, purple and white lights that signaled Shiz University. To the right were the more muted, but still enchanting, lights of the peacefully lit neighborhoods and community homes, casting a warm, calm glow, telling anyone who needed help that they were welcome there. And in the center, down a glittering, golden yellow brick road, far off in the distance, and slightly obscured by late evening fog, were the bright, gleaming lights of the Ozmopolitan that was the Emerald City.

"Oh, Elphie! It's… it's breathtaking!"

"Amazing, isn't it?" the sorceress grinned.

The blonde nodded and gazed longingly at the blindingly hypnotizing lights of the city. "Someday," she sighed, "We're going to live there."

"We?"

"Yes, _we_! You as the Wizard's Grand Vizier," Elphaba sniffed at the idea, but the blonde ignored her, "and me as your apprentice! Wouldn't that be fantastic, Elphie?"

The green girl shook her head, but didn't want to squash her friend's exuberant fantasy. She got so cute when she was excited. "Yes, my sweet," she admitted. "it would be… amazing… If it ever happens."

"It will," Galinda chirped confidently. "You just need to have faith."

"Yeah," the green girl deadpanned. "Faith."

"Don't be so negative, Elphie! I _know _you'll get that letter from the Wizard. You're the best sorceress I know."

Elphaba sighed, amazed how the blonde knew what she was thinking, before she was even sure herself. "I hope you're right, Glin," she responded wistfully.

"I am. In fact-" But she was cut off. Just when their car was at the top of the wheel, the ride lurched to a stop with an ear-piercing screech and stomach clenching _clank. _"Uh…" she laughed nervously, suddenly very conscious once again of how high up they were. "El- Elphaba… is… is it supposed to do that?"

The sorceress cringed. Of _course! _Of all the times for a ride to break down, it _had _to be this one and it _had _to happen while she was on it. "Erm...no," she admitted with a grimace.

"Oh, Oz!" Galinda's breath hitched in her throat and she gripped the railing like iron. Her vision swirled and she suddenly became impossibly dizzy. "Elphie, we're stranded! How are we supposed to get down? We're going to die up here!"

"Galinda," the green girl tried to soothe her. "Glin, calm down, I'm sure the maintenance staff is calling for help right now."

As she said it, a gruff man's voice boomed over the megaphone. "Stay calm everyone. The mechanic and fire department will be here in about twenty minutes and you'll all get down safe and sound."

"See? it's gonna be fine."

But her roommate wasn't listening. Her heart pounded in her chest and her breaths came in panted spurts. "Twenty minutes?!" she shrieked. "And the fire department? They expect this thing to burn down? Elphie, what do we do?" Her eyes were wild and terrified as she stared in transfixed fear at the ground below her. Her depth perception wavered and the sight made her stomach roll.

"Galinda," Elphaba tried to pull her roommate's gaze away, "Glin, you can't look down. alright? Everything will be okay. They're just calling the fire department for their ladders. They can get us down if the mechanic takes too long to get it back up and working." She pulled the blonde up and tried to force their eyes to meet, though the blonde's were clouded in peterfication and clearly somewhere far away.

"Oz, Elphie! What if we _never _get down? What about the baby? What am I supposed to-" She was hyperventilating now. She kept glancing back and forth between Elphaba and the edge. She wasn't focused on anything, just terrified out of her mind.

Elphaba grabbed her by the shoulder and stared determinedly into her deep, ocean-blue eyes, trying to force her back to the present. "Galinda! Glin, look at me!" But still, the blonde was dazed, paralyzed with visions of being stuck up there forever, or burning in some non-existent fire that she was now convinced would happen. The green girl knew there was only one thing that could shock her back to reality, Without thinking, she lgrasped her roommate's face in her warm hands, forcing her to meet her gaze. But her eyes were unseeing, seeming to look straight through Elphaba. Slowly, her sable eyes never leaving Galinda's, she closed the distance between them, brushing her lips ever so softly to hers.

* * *

><p>Galinda was shocked. The feeling of another's lips on hers didn't register at first, All she saw in that moment was a dark, blue canvas of bone-chilling fear. But then, the fact that someone else was trying to kiss her dawned, and the panic relented slightly. When she realized it was Elphaba, every ounce of trepidation vanished, replaced with a hot, fiery glow that swelled in every cell of her body. The sorceress moved to pull away, but before she could, Galinda twined her arms tightly around the green girl's neck, molding her rosebud lips to her and deepened the kiss.<p>

Galinda tilted her head, slanting her lips over Elphaba's and pressed closer, soothing her manicured hand over the witch's nape, rubbing gently, silently assuring her. She was relieved to feel her friend relax into her embrace, her lips softening beneath hers. She had to remind herself to have a care for Elphaba's lack of experience so as not to go too fast too soon. Catching her emerald lip between her own, she couldn't help but notice how perfectly they fit together.

A low moan escaped the green girl's parted lips as Galinda's slid sinuously against her, molding, pressing, brushing as the heat once more raced through her blood and fired her passion. Her hands snaked around the blonde's waist, gently pressing closer, wanting…_needing_…to feel more. She'd never felt anything like this…the intense pressure building in her, the need to press against another person in complete abandon, to seek their touch. She trembled as Galinda's hot pink tongue slid over her bottom lip and she felt a little jolt shoot to every one of her nerve endings, her desire intensifying by the second.

Galinda fought valiantly to maintain her control, wanting nothing more than to explore the inner recesses of her friend's honeyed mouth, and again she had to warn herself to go slowly with the witch. She forgot about where she was and the peril that had sent her into a panic. In that moment, there was only Elphaba and the intense need to kiss her, to touch her.

The ride jolted, causing the small seat to sway back and forth and Galinda squealed, pulling away from Elphaba to look down in alarm. "El- Elphie!"

Elphaba, however, refused to let go of her friend, brushing her thumbs over Galinda's flushed cheeks, bringing her pink petal soft lips back to hers. "Shh," she whispered against the corner of her mouth, bravely pressing a tender kiss to her lips. "Don't look, sweet, don't think." It was her turn to explore, fitting her lips firmly to Galinda's, slanting them as she had and capturing her bottom lip between her own. She had no idea what she was doing, going with her gut instincts and trusting that she wouldn't disappoint her friend or make a complete cake of herself. Elphaba felt exhilarated as she tried to emulate the bubbly blonde's passion, though she found her own tentative movements to be lacking the overwhelming desire Galinda had shown. She just hoped it would be enough.

The blonde gave herself over to her desire and returned Elphaba's kiss with gusto, completely unaware of their trek to the bottom until the moderator stepped forward, clearing his throat uncomfortably, ready to let them off the ride.


	10. You Got Me

**A/N: Once again, I sincerely apologize for my lateness, but, as you can tell by the three new o/s's adorning my profile, lol, I got kidnapped by a oneshot plot bunny that would not leave me alone. Hopefully those were enough to tide you over, and I hope you enjoy the new chap! The dream sequence idea was given to me by islashlove! Thank you! **

**Next up to be updated will be Wicked Wars, and possibly another o/s inspired by the Sara Bareilles. (That's what happens when a music junky must have pandora on to write lol) Anyway, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical! **

**10**

**You Got Me**

Elphaba was still on cloud nine from their kiss as the moderator helped them off the ferris wheel. When their feet were safely planted firmly on the ground, the green girl glanced shyly over at the bubbly blonde. Her gleaming smile lit up the dark night and her eyes sparkled brighter than the biggest diamonds. Her glorious aurelian curls were mussed and slightly tangled from the events of the night, and her simple dress was disheveled. The sleeve on her left shoulder had fallen down, leaving her perfectly smooth, pearl-like skin exposed for all to see. The green girl smiled, continuing to just watch her as she worked to press the wrinkles out of her clothes, delirious from the feeling of her rosebud lips against her own, the sense of want and longing still very much alive in the pit of her stomach. She never imagined she'd get a first kiss at all, let alone a second and third. Though they were on the ground now, the sorceress was still flying high, thanking Oz for the little blonde next to her, and hoping the feelings of this night would be ones to last.

The hairs on the back of Galinda's neck prickled, and she felt herself being watched. Unlike earlier that day though, the sensation didn't make her tense or afraid. It didn't send her senses into immediate defense mode, but merely peaked her curiosity and caused the desire that still warmed her being to be lit anew. She snuck a peek at her little witch, giggling and feeling heat color her cheeks when she caught sight of the emerald girl's tender sable eyes. They twinkled with amusement. A sweet smile made her stunning features stand out even more. "What?" Galinda asked, slightly embarrassed by the endearing way her roommate was looking at her.

"Nothing," Elphaba shrugged. "Just you."

Galinda shook her head and slipped her hand into Elphaba's, running her thumb gently over the emerald girl's knuckles. "What about me?" she purred.

The sorceress gave her a lopsided grin. "So, did you enjoy the ride?" she asked, raising a suggestive eyebrow to indicate what she really meant.

Galinda smirked and leaned forward to peck a gentle kiss on the tip of the green girl's nose. "What do _you _think?"

Elphaba blushed. "I hope… I hope I didn't disappoint you," she whispered. "You were so amazing and I-" Galinda cut her off with another kiss, deeper this time.

"Oh, Elphie," she answered, pulling her closer so their waists were touching, "you could never disappoint me." She moved forward again and abolished the distance between them, gently brushing her lips against the green girl's.

The witch moaned in contentment. "Mmm," she breathed happily against the Gilikin's lips, "you taste wonderful."

The heiress smiled into her jade skin. "Would you like another taste?" She opened her lips slightly and Elphaba cautiously obeyed, moving her tongue to caress all the parts of her palate she knew would bring her friend pleasure. A low growl erupted from the blonde's throat. "Elphie…" she moaned blissfully. She moved to reciprocate the gesture, once again wrapping her arms about the green girl's neck and pulling her in. But before she could go any further, she heard an unknown male clear his throat.

"Ahem," a deep voice coughed. Galinda immediately sprang away and looked to her right.

"Fiyero!" she yelped. "We were… um… I mean... " Oh, Oz! Of all the places to see him again! What was she supposed to do _now_? What was she supposed to _say? _She'd been avoiding him since the night of the Ozdust, too distracted and confusified about so many things to face him. Except, now she had no choice. She was trapped. _And _she'd been caught in the most compromising situation possible. The blood drained from her already pale face, her hands beginning to perspire. Hot tears pricked the edge of her eyes. What could she _do?_

She tossed a frantically panicked look at her roommate in a desperate cry for help, but the sorceress's eyes were glued to her shoes. Her emerald face had darkened to a forest green and she wouldn't look up. Fiyero didn't look any more comfortable. He anxiously put a hand behind his head, cursing himself for interrupting them. Some of the straw that he'd stuffed up the sleeves of his dark blue tunic to complete his scarecrow costume fell out and fluttered to the pavement. He was at a loss for what to do or say.

_Nice going, Brainless! _he chastised himself. _Now what_?

He sighed, figuring that he'd already made his biggest blunder, so he might as well try and talk to her; one awkward situation all at once would be better than creating another one later. He coughed and started again. "Glin, I, uh," he fumbled uselessly, unsure how exactly to approach this, especially after what he'd just seen. "Do you uh…"

"Fiyero!" Galinda squeaked again. Her thoughts moved slower than molasses, frozen in time. She couldn't think of anything else to say except his name. Her mouth stayed open, hinging and unhinging at the jaw, as if wanting to form words, but her brain was still too shocked to catch up.

The prince laughed nervously. "You said that already," he chuckled breathily, trying hard to retain his easy going demeanor.

"Oh," Galinda giggled. "Yeah, I guess I did."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Fiyero's focus never settling on anything, but darting back and forth between the two girls and his own shoes. He wore a contorted, perplexed expression when his eyes drifted to their intertwined hands, as if he'd forgotten why he'd come in the first place. Galinda came out of her trance and followed his gaze to their intertwined hands. She gently slipped her own pale wrist out of the green girl's warm, comforting hold. She locked her ocean-blue orbs with Elphaba's stoic sable gaze, silently pleading with her not to be angry. The sorceress gave her a hesitant smile in return, understanding clear on her face. It was a lot to take in at once, and Galinda needed to face Fiyero and explain their budding relationship in her own way, on her own time, without anyone's help.

The Vinkus prince cleared his throat once more, shuffling his feet absentmindedly as he spoke. "So, uh, Glin, you think we could...you know, talk? Like..." he threw Elphaba a cautious, apologetic glance before pointing toward a setting area made of hay bails next to the petting zoo, "over there?" Galinda looked past him uncertainly and his voice wavered a bit as he stuttered, "A...Alone?"

"I…" She looked to the green girl again, helpless for what to do. She _really _didn't want to be alone with Fiyero right now, but she knew asking her roommate to go with her would just make the situation ten times more uncomfortable than it already was.

Elphaba gave her an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder and whispered soothingly, "Go." Galinda shivered with pleasure as the green girl's lips subtly against her ear.

"But.." she trailed off pitifully, her eyes flicking back and forth between her roommate and the prince. She said nothing else, but the witch could see it written in her face. _I'm scared, _her grey-blue eyes seemed to say. _I want to stay with you._

The sorceress gave her a gentle shove toward the Vinkin. "Go," she repeated softly. "I'll be right here when you get back."

"Elphie…" She bit her trembling lip, but gulped back the terrified tears, knowing this had to happen sooner or later. "O- okay," she finally agreed, walking towards Fiyero. "I'll, I'll be right back." She glanced back worriedly, but followed the prince to the hay bales.

* * *

><p>Galinda sat down on the stiff straw and sighed, keeping her eyes trained to her lap. When the silence grew stiflingly loud, Galinda cleared her throat and tried to gather enough courage to say what needed to be said- although she wasn't exactly sure want that was right now. She shivered and rubbed her arms, fingering her roommate's coat, which she'd tied to her waist in the funhouse. "Look, Fiyero-"<p>

"Listen, Glin-" they both stopped and the blonde blushed.

"You first."

Fiyero cleared his throat. "Erm, right. Well I just wanted to um… I haven't seen you since the Ozdust and I… I just wondered if maybe you were um… mad at me or something? You know, because of that night in my dorm a couple weeks back…" his voice died and Galinda laughed shrilly.

"Avoiding you? Don't be silly, Yero! Why would I do that?" Inside she was screaming. Her heart rate sped up and she wiped her palms on her skirt. Her voice rose an octave as she spoke, and Galinda hoped he wouldn't spot the lie. Or worse.

_What if he already knows about the baby?_

She shook her head. No, that was impossible. She wasn't even showing yet. She forced that thought away and forged ahead. "No, I've just been busy, you know, studying... and… stuff." She winced at the lame finish, but what else could she say?

Fiyero raised a questioning eyebrow. He obviously didn't buy her excuse, but let it slide, for which Galinda was thankful. "Right, um, either way, I just wanted to… apologize, for, you know, that night. I should've never asked you to come up to my room. I should've never made you-"

"You didn't Fiyero. It was my choice, and I-" Wait, what was she doing? Trying to comfort him? This was so odd. One hand settled unconsciously on her stomach.

"No, I'm just as responsible here. I was drunk off my ass and I acted like a real douche bag. I just wanted you to know you don't have to keep going to parties with me out of, like, responsibility, or anything…"

"Fiyero," Galinda's stomach twisted and she suddenly felt guilty that he'd found her kissing Elphaba. "I…"

"Anyway," Fiyero pushed off the hay bale and started to stand up, "it was just drunk sex, it's not like it, you know, meant anything." His pensive yet hopeful features told a different story as he stuck out his hand and asked if they could still be friends, but Galinda didn't notice. Her heart had catapulted into her throat. Her stomach dropped to the ground and tears stung her eyes. Her ears buzzed and her breathing came in stunned spurts as Fiyero's words reverberated over and over in her head.

_It was just drunk sex. It didn't mean anything. _How could he _say _that? Sure, it was only one night, but it was one night that turned Galinda's life completely upside down. One night that had inadvertently given her, given _them, _the child that was now steadily growing inside her. A child, she realized, that she could now never tell it's father about. Certainly if the night was meaningless to him, he wouldn't want anything to do with the person that resulted from it.

"Galinda?" Fiyero called. "Are you… Are you okay?"

The blonde shook her head, mess of gold curls swinging wildly. A few stuck to her damp face, but she didn't care. As her vision continued to blur into a swirl of colors, tears begin to course down her cheeks. She clamped her hand to her mouth as a sob threatened to escape and sprinted off without another word.

* * *

><p>Elphaba was standing by the fair entrance, trying to distract herself with a new paperback book and a flashlight as she waited anxiously for Galinda's return.<p>

She was suddenly thrown off balance as a flurry of pink and orange crashed into her. The sorceress stumbled back in surprise as Galinda barreled into her and clung to her waist. The green girl spat a few stray golden curls out of her mouth as her petite roommate buried her face into her emerald chest. "Galinda?" Her sable eyes widened in realization. "Oh, Oz." Startled, Elphaba instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around the blonde just as her knees begin to buckle under her. The witch sucked in her breath as it dawned on her that the heiress was shaking. The sobs that wracked her body were more violent and pained than any the green girl had witnessed before. Her breathing was ragged and sparse and the tears streaming out of her beautiful blue orbs had nearly soaked through Elphaba's borrowed top in only a few minutes. Several times, the green girl saw Galinda try and wipe her eyes and try to speak, but the tears just kept coming. The whimpers were broken and confused, as if she had no idea why she was so upset, but couldn't manage to stop the flood of emotions that overwhelmed her. She sounded, the witch realized with a stabbing pang in her chest, like her heart had just been shattered into a million pieces.

For a moment, all Elphaba saw was a blinding shade of red. Her gaze burned with white hot fury. She had half a mind to stomp after Fiyero and throttle him then and there for whatever he'd said or done to break the fragile blonde who was now crumbling in her arms. But one glance at her roommate's heartbroken frame proved that giving that careless dick of a prince the punishment he deserved would have to wait. Her first priority was to get Galinda out of here, away from all the stares, and safely back in their dorm. She would deal with the vicious Vinkin who dared to tear apart her friend's fragile heart later. She moved Galinda's sobbing frame a little ways away from her and planted a light kiss on her forehead.

"El-Elphie," Galinda rasped. "I- I…"

"Shh, my sweet," the green girl soothed. "You're gonna be okay, alright?"

"Bu-" the blonde choked, "Fi- Fiyero, he.. he said…"

"Shh." Elphaba begin guiding her back across the grounds toward Craige Hall. "First we have to get you out of here. When we get back to the dorm, you can tell me everything, okay?"

"But… he.. he said…" the tears came faster again, and the green girl drew her roommate back into her chest, carding her hair and whispering sweet nothings as they walked.

_Oz, I'm going to _kill _that boy for whatever stupid brainlessness came out of his mouth just now! _she fumed. She felt her magic tingling, responding to her anger, but she held it back. Out loud, she simply said, "It's alright, my sweet. We'll take care of everything, okay? Everything's gonna be fine. Do you trust me?"

Galinda nodded wordlessly into the witch's chest. She'd found herself trusting Elphaba more than she'd ever trusted anyone, and the feeling had only intensified as days passed.

"Good." She kissed the top of her head again. "Now, let's get out of here."

* * *

><p>At the dorm, Elphaba skillfully maneuvered her way to their room, managing to retrieve her key and turn it in the double- bolted lock without ever loosening her embrace on Galinda. She carefully helped her over to the bed and lowered her gently onto the plush duvet before following suit to take a seat beside her. Her tears were still continuous, but she was no longer openly sobbing, now just leaning her head on the green girl's shoulder and letting them fall silently. Elphaba wasn't sure whether that was a positive sign or not. A large part of her still very much wanted to murder that reckless prince for doing this to her roommate, but she needed to know what happened before determining a proper punishment- Oh, but there <em>would<em> be a punishment.

The sorceress leaned back slightly to retrieve the box of tissues from the blonde's nightstand, and Galinda whimpered when she momentarily broke their embrace, but snuggled contentedly back into the green girl's arms the moment they resumed their position around her. Elphaba held her close as she pulled a tissue out of the box and pressed it gently into the smaller girl's shaking hand. "Blow," she instructed quietly.

Galinda obeyed, sitting up slightly and wiping her eyes as well before balling the tissue up in her hand and leaning back against the witch with a long sigh. Her eyes were still vacant and glassy, but at least her breathing was beginning to even out.

"Better?" the sorceress asked as she continued to rub soothing circles along the distraught blonde's back.

The heiress took a shaky breath and looked tentatively up into Elphaba's warm sable eyes. They were full of compassion and understanding, something for which Galinda was so grateful, she almost started crying again. She felt her eyes well up, and the green girl leaned in to hug her closer, a wordless signal that it was okay to cry if she needed to, but the blonde shook her head and blinked the now familiar sting back. She sat up a little straighter, her breath still quivered and she could feel her body shaking from emotional exhaustion. They sat there, in semi-comfortable, but weighted silence, for a length of time that neither girl could define. Elphaba really didn't want to, but finally, she knew she had to break it, if only to find out what happened and keep Galinda from burying it in the past like it never occurred at all.

"Glin," she began hesitantly, taking one ivory-colored, baby soft hand in her own emerald one and gently stroking the other girl's knuckles. She winced when the fragile blonde stiffened almost instantly. Elphaba silently cursed herself, guessing that her roommate could tell from the kind hesitance in her voice that this wasn't going to be the most pleasant of conversations. Galinda sighed loudly, like she'd known it was coming, and was actually glad the bomb had finally dropped. Still, she said nothing, simply looking expectantly at her roommate. The witch cringed, but she knew they had to have this talk sooner or later, and figuring talking it out now was better than letting the blonde stew in her own misery.

_You really should take your own advice sometime _a pesky voice prodded her. Elphaba caught her lip between her teeth and fought to banish that thought. What she did wasn't important right now. All that mattered was that Galinda was okay. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it," she forged ahead tentatively, "but, Glin, what did Fiyero say to you?'

The blonde sighed, knowing there was no use in avoiding it. The prince's words echoed in her minds eye, and she bit down hard on her bottom lip, trying to at least get through an explanation without breaking down again. She was tired of crying, and she hated that one simple comment had reduced her to such a state. _When did I become so weak? _She wondered in slight disgust. But, it wasn't really weakness, was it? That night… he was her first. And she would have to live with those repercussions for the rest of her life… She rested one hand on her abdomen and sighed. Or at the very least for the next nine months until she had the baby and figured out what in all of Oz she was going to do with it.

She couldn't fathom how the night that had turned her life completely on its axis- in more ways than one, she reminded herself as she gripped the green girl's hand for support- could mean so little to him. She brought her free hand up to her cheek, cursing aloud when she realized with dismay that they were damp once again. "Shit," she hissed. "Why the hell am I so damn weak?" Even as she asked it, her voice cracked. She locked eyes with Elphaba, tracing every beautifully accentuated feature of her face with her gaze, as if burning it into her memory, and searching pleading for some kind of explanation.

Elphaba sucked in a short breath at Galinda's sudden question, though she attempted to mask it with a small sigh. The slight note of self-loathing in her voice dismayed the witch. She'd never heard it before, and it concerned her that a few words from Fiyero could reduce the usually optimistic blonde to such statements. She reached out her free hand and gently traced her thumb over the other girl's flushed cheeks to wipe away her tears. "You're not weak," she assured her quietly. "You've been through a lot, and there's no shame in crying, Glin."

"There is when it's over something as stupid as this, and when I can't go _one day _without having an emotional breakdown."

"Hey," the sorceress reprimanded sternly, taking her chin delicately in her palm and raising it so their eyes met. "_Nothing _that hurts you will _ever _be considered stupid to me, okay?"

"Bu-"

"No buts," she cut her off. "You're the first real friend I've ever had; you chose me when it cost you all your friends, and you _still _haven't come to your senses enough to regret it."

"Elphie!" Galinda shrieked, "I told you-"

"I know what you told me." She smiled warmly and squeezed the blonde's hands lovingly. "And now, I'm telling you the same thing. You're my best friend, Galinda, and that means I care about you. I care when something hurt you, no matter _what_ it was. You can _always_ tell me, no matter what. I won't judge you. Hell," she gestured to her skin with a small smirk, "I'm the last one who would."

That elicited a small, watery laugh from her roommate, for which the green girl was relieved. "Oh, Elphie," she grinned affectionately, "You always know how to make me laugh!"

The witch blushed and chuckled breathily. "I'm glad, Glin." Then she bit her lip and paused before adding cautiously, "So, will you tell me what happened now?"

The blonde's gaze drifted to her lap. She twined her hands together anxiously, not wanting to move back into such touchy territory. Still, she knew Elphaba wasn't asking to make her uncomfortable. She genuinely cared, and there wasn't a doubt in Galinda's mind that she could trust her. This conversation had to happen; she understood that, otherwise the bite of Fiyero's words would be eating at her for days.

_Better to get it over with now, _she decided reluctantly. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she whispered "He...he said that night… when we were both…drunk, and he asked me up to his room…" she wiped her eyes again and finally looked up. "He said didn't mean anything..." her voice trailed away and Elphaba couldn't help but catch the hint of confusion that lay there.

On the one hand, mention of that night made Elphaba's stomach twist into a thousand knots, especially since she and Galinda had just shared their first kiss, and since she'd given the green girl the first kiss she'd ever gotten. Her stomach slowly crept into her throat as she thought of the very real possibility that Galinda could actually have feelings for the Vinkin prince. She didn't know if she could handle it to find out that half of Galinda's heart belonged to someone other than her after what they'd just shared.

But on the other…

Elphaba shook the selfish thoughts free from her mind. This wasn't about her, this was about Galinda. Even if she was in love with him, Elphaba knew she'd find a way to survive. She'd always been on her own. She'd find a way to do it again. Her primary concern was that Galinda was happy.

_And besides, _she reasoned _it wouldn't be like before. Even if Galinda's not my… whatever she might be, she'll still be my friend. Right?_

Pushing her own doubt aside, the green girl laid a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "D- did it?" she barely whispered. She inwardly cursed herself as she waited with baited breath for the answer, praying the blonde didn't catch the slight quiver in her voice.

"I don't know!" Galinda exploded as a new bout of tears suddenly pooled to blur her vision. "I mean, I don't think it would have if it weren't for this baby, but now..." her words died on her tongue and she huffed irritably, shaking her head in a seemingly impossible state of confusion. "I just can't believe he said that!" she fumed suddenly. "He was my first, Elphie! I know we were drunk but… he was the first person I ever let-" A sob cut through her sentence, and Elphaba instinctively wrapped her arms around her, rocking her once more.

"Oh, Glin…"

The blonde shook her head miserably as more tears dampened her roommates dress. "I just don't understand it!" she choked. "I feel like I owe him, somehow…" she confessed. "Especially since," she gestured uselessly to her abdomen. "Who will want me, after this?"

Elphaba stared at her in utter horror. "Galinda, my sweet, no. You can't really think..." She pulled the blonde to her, only then realizing the true root of the problem; Fiyero's words hadn't torn her apart because she loved him, but because he was the first big chance she ever took, and it ended up changing her life. Now she didn't feel she could do any better. The witch gently bent down and kissed her roommate lightly on the lips, causing her bloodshot eyes to shoot open in surprise. "I want you," she whispered sweetly.

"R- really?" the blonde stuttered in disbelief.

Elphaba smiled and kissed her again. "I'll _always _want you," she assured her fiercely. "Anyone who doesn't, well, they don't deserve you."

"Th- thanks, Elphie."

"Of course, my sweet. And…" she hesitated, but plunged ahead when Galinda glanced up at her expectantly.

"And what?"

"And…" the witch bit her lip, trying to think of the best way to say what she really wanted. "Just because Fiyero was your first... that doesn't mean he's the best you'll ever do. He shouldn't set the bar for what you really want.

Galinda's brows furrowed in misunderstanding. "What do you mean, Elphie?"

"Well…" the sorceress hesitated. "I don't know about sex." She shrugged sheepishly before hurriedly moving on, "But, thanks to my mom, I _do _know something about love. What you had with Fiyero may've been… meaningful. But that experience… it doesn't mean you're obligated to him, and it _certainly _doesn't mean you have to love him."

Galinda's confusion only seemed to increase at that and Elphaba sighed.

"What I mean is, a lot of people associate having sex, or, even having a baby, with being in love. But they aren't the same thing."

Galinda bit her lip, but said nothing. Her thoughts were far away, back in Glilkin. There, it was considered blasphemy if you got together with someone and you weren't at least in a relationship with them. Having a baby out of wedlock… it could have you banned from society entirely, especially among the noble families, like the Uplands. She couldn't imagine what Momsie and Popsicle would say when she came home for Lurlinmas break with a swollen stomach and no ring on her finger or boy on her arm. They might just disown her. She tried to push those panic induced thoughts down though, Lurlinmas was still two months away after all. Instead, she focused on Elphaba's soothing voice and gentle, calming touch as she blabbered on about the meaning of love.

"Love isn't about physical affection or attraction, Glin. It's about wanting the best for the other person; it's comforting them when they're sad, and laughing with them when they're happy. It's never leaving their side, no matter how many bad things they've done. It's accepting every part of them; appreciating their good sides, but even more, embracing their imperfections. It's adoring them as they come, and showing that in little ways. _That's _what love is, my sweet. It's not measured by physical attraction or dutiful obligation; but of the simple wants of your heart."

Galinda stared at her roommate in admiration and awe. She'd never heard her speak so honestly before, and it amazed her, only making her that much more desirable. "Elphie…"

"You don't owe Fiyero your love, Glin," she continued, acutely aware of the longing in her friend's voice. "Not does he owe you his. Though, I do think you should tell him about the…" she gestured to Galinda's still flat stomach, "situation, once you figure out what to do," she advised carefully. Galinda just nodded along absentmindedly, still lost in her roommate's loving gaze and passionate speech.

"So…" she said quietly, "does that… does that mean you love me?"

That took Elphaba aback, and she gawked at the blonde, unsure how to form an answer. Galinda's cheeks flamed and she feared she'd just horribly overstepped. After an eternity of silence, the green girl finally whispered with a shy blush, "I think," she hesitated as her cheeks continued to darken, "it means I'm starting to."

Galinda beamed before capturing Elphaba in a gentle, but passionate kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Galinda woke up to a completely white room. White sink, white walls, white bed frame. The only color that popped out at her was the light periwinkle of the coarse, but not uncomfortable, sheets that were tucked around her. She smiled dazedly, as if her body knew where she was, even though her brain didn't. She used her arms to push into a sitting position, and she felt someone's hand on her back.<em>

"_Morning, Sleeping Beauty."_

_Galinda's lips curled up into an even larger grin; she'd recognize that voice anywhere. "Hi, Elphie," she yawned tiredly. Sure enough, when she swiveled to face the right side of the room, Elphaba's beautiful emerald features beamed lovingly back at her, her sable eyes alight with pride as she took the other girl's hand in her own._

"_You did wonderful, my sweet."_

"_I did?" Galinda asked, her forehead wrinkling in incomprehension. "But, what did I-" It was only then that she noticed how her clothes crinkled as she shifted positions again. She locked down to find herself covered in a paper-thin dress. A breeze blew in from the open window on the left side of the cube-shaped room, and Galinda shivered as the cool area grazed the bare skin on her upper back. She also came to find, as she wriggled her legs to straighten them, that she wasn't wearing any undergarments. Elphie…?" she trailed of and scanned the perimeter of them room again. "Where are-"_

"_They're just finishing cleaning her up, my love," Elphaba crooned sweetly, oblivious to her roommate's utter confusion. "Look." She gestured to the large wooden door on the far right side of the room._

_Just then, a nurse in an all white uniform stepped quietly in the room, wearing a sunny smile and cradling a small, pink clad bundle in her arms. She stepped daintily over to the bed, grinning proudly at the befuddled blonde as she carefully placed the bundle in her arms. "Congratulations, Miss. Galinda, say hello to your daughter."_

"_My daugh-" Galinda stared wide-eyed at the nurse. "So, you mean, this is my…" Her gaze drifted down to the little human she held against her. Her heart suddenly swelled with a kind of love she never knew she could feel. It warmed her whole being, and she had a sudden urge to protect the little girl with everything she had. She reached down and adoringly stroked her soft head, where little tuffs of golden blonde hair were just visible. She inherited her father's sun kissed skin, but it was a few shades lighter than his. Her hands were dainty and perfect as she balled them in her sleep and snuggled closer to her mother. Galinda sighed, feeling a sense of peace wash over her that was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. For one fleeting moment, she saw her baby girl's ideal life flash before her eyes: her first steps, first words, the first time she rolled over, her first Lurlinemas, where she'd be showered with glorious presents beyond her wildest imagination, her first day of school… Galinda lost herself in the daydream, thinking, for once, that she might actually be able to do this._

"_She's beautiful, my sweet." She leaned forward and gently kissed the blonde's forehead. "Just like you."_

"_Elphie…" Galinda sighed, closing her eyes in contentment and resting her head on the pillows behind her._

"_Indeed." A deep male voice jostled the blonde from her peaceful position. "She's a spitting image of her mother."_

_Galinda's eyes snapped open, and she beamed giddily when she caught sight of her parents in the doorway. "Momsie! Popsicle!"_

"_She is beautiful, Galinda." Her mother's lips curled into a cool, toothless smile as she pressed them together. Her eyes were hard and emotionless as she floated over to stand on the left side of the hospital bed. Galinda's brow furrowed at the plaintive expression her mother wore and her use of her daughter's full name. "Momsie?"_

"_It's too bad you'll never be able to give her the life she deserves," she hissed evenly._

_The blonde sucked in her breath and held the buddle close to her chest. "What do you-?"_

"_Well," her father sneered, coming to stand next to his wife. "We can't really give you any power now, can we? We're barely holding onto our titles _now _because of your innocent little 'mistake'." He shook his had disappointedly, his usually kind sapphire eyes now a stormy, steely gray as he eyed her coldly._

"_But-" Galinda's lip quivered. What was her father _saying? "_I didn't-"_

"_Of course not dear," her mother scoffed, her voice dripping with the falsity of sticky, sweet honey. "But, someone banned from her society because she had a daughter out of wedlock will surely never get a job on the Wizard's Council, now, will she?" she raised her eyebrows in disgust._

"_What?" the blonde shrieked. "But- but I, she's not mine! I'm going to give her up!" her voice cracked and tears stained the sheets wrapped about her. "Please," she squeaked brokenly._

"_I told you, you should've aborted that abomination when you had the chance," her father growled venomously._

"_She's not an abomination!" the blonde yelled, clutching her daughter._

"_Oh, face it, Galinda, she's a bastard child! And, even if you give her up, that's all she'll ever be."_

"_H- how _could _you say those things? She's you're granddaughter!"_

"_No," her father shook his head evenly, "she's not. As far as all of Gilikin will know, it was a stillbirth. She doesn't exist to us."_

"_Wh- what?" Tears were streaming down her cheeks now. "You would metaphorically kill your own blood?"_

"_But, she's not our blood, Galinda." Her mother smiled coldly. "And, for that matter, neither are you."_

"_I- WHAT?" the blonde burst out between sobs. "You- you're disowning me? Because of one honest mistake?"_

"_Yes." Her father didn't even blink. "You're a whore, Galinda."_

_The blonde reeled, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Daddy," she chocked. "Please." Her vision was so blurred with tears now that she could barely make out anything but a murky swirl of colors._

"_No. First, you have a baby with an unmarried man, and then you leave him for that despicable green thing you dare call your girlfriend."_

"_Elphie's not a thing!" Galinda screamed hotly. "I love her!"_

_Her father just sighed. "And you had so much potential."_

"_D- daddy," she rasped, barely able to speak, but he had already left without uttering a single sound. "Mo- Momsie-"_

"_It's really a shame to see you waste yourself like this," she said sadly, "but you never were fit to be a mother."_

_Galinda's gaze suddenly ignited with blazing anger. "I can do this!" she schreched. "You'll see! Maybe I _won't _give her up. I'll go to Fiyero, and he'll help me!"_

"_Oh, please." Galinda's mother rolled her eyes disdainfully. "You really think that irresponsible Vinkin will _help _you?" She laughed shrilly. "He's the reason you're in this situation." She threw her daughter one last pitying glance and then she flounced away._

"_You'll see!" Galinda shouted hysterically through her waterfall of tears. "I'll find him, and we'll raise her together. I'll be twice the mother you ever were!"_

"_No, Galinda," a male voice interrupted solemnly. "I'm afraid you won't._

_Galinda's head whipped around. Through her tear soaked haze, she made out the blurry silhouette of Fiyero, standing next to Elphaba's chair. Galinda wanted to shake the green girl, but she appeared frozen in time. "Fi- Fiyero?" she asked uncertainly. "What are you…?"_

"_I'm sorry, Galinda," Fiyero said. His voice was eerily monotone and his eyes glazed over, "but your parents were right." He reached forward and slipped the bundle out of her arms. She tried to hold her away, but she was powerless to resist him._

"_Fiyero-" she gasped, barely able to rasp out a word through her heartbroken sobs. "What are you doing?"_

"_You lied to me," he hissed. "You told me we were perfect together. You said nothing was wrong."_

"_Yero…" her voice cracked. "I- I didn't…" she shook her head, gold curls swinging wildly._

"_You did, Galinda. And I won't let my daughter be corrupted by a lying whore."_

"_Fiyero…" but before she could say another word, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, her precious baby cradled in his arms. "Fiyero!" she shrieked, before collapsing on the bed in a fit of hysteria._

_Suddenly, she felt a hand carding at her hair; she didn't have to think twice before sinking into Elphaba's waiting arms._

"_Oh, Elphie, what am I going to do?" she sobbed. But when she moved her head to look up into the green girl's warm sable gaze, all she found was a mask of cold indifference, and hard amber eyes that seemed to see right through her._

"_I don't know, Galinda, she said robotically as she abruptly sat up and let the sobbing blonde fall into the pillows. "But whatever it is, it won't be with me."_

"_Wh- what?" Galinda stuttered. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. "What did you say?"_

"_You told me you loved me," she sighed. "But you never really meant it. I was just a distraction until you could get back with Fiyero."_

"_Elphie- No! I l-love you!" she sobbed; her eyes wide with horror as the room begin to spin._

"_I can't be with you anymore…." The green girl's voice echoed in her ears as the walls began to dissolve and Galinda's vision went non-existent. She felt herself falling through nothingness, and let loose with a blood-curdling scream._

* * *

><p>Elphaba's eyes snapped open and she jolted awake, her gaze frantically scanning the room for the source of the sound that had awoken her. She thought she'd heard a scream, but she couldn't be sure.<p>

"No! Please! Elphie! Fiyero, please! Please… don't leave me here!"

Immediately, the green girl swiveled to lock her gaze on her roommate's bed. Galinda was twisted in the sheets, moaning, distressed in her sleep. Her hair was matted and tangled as she fitfully tossed and turned and her knuckles looked pale as she gripped the flimsy sheets like a lifeline. "Elphie…" she sobbed, "Please! I… I love you."

The witch felt her throat constrict at that. She tried to keep her breathing even as she slid out of bed and tip toed over to the blonde's side of the room, determined to wake her from the obvious mental prison her dreams had trapped her in. She crept closer to the bedside and flicked on her roommate's tableside lamp, setting it to dim so the glare wasn't overwhelming, but she was able to see without wandering blindly around. The soft light bathed the heiress's delicate features, and Elphaba's heart shot to her throat upon seeing the extreme anguish clouding her usually calm expression. Her cheeks were damp, and rivers of tears continued to stream out of her eyes as she continued to whimper uselessly. The green girl sighed as her stomach knotted and a sickening wave of concern washed over her. She sat on the side of the bed and gently shook her roommate's shoulder, trying to wake her with as little stress as possible.

"Galinda," she whispered. "Galinda, Wake up, my sweet, you're having a nightmare."

The blonde's eyes shot open. She bolted into a sitting position with a frightfully long gasp for breath. Her eyes darted around the room, as though she expected ghosts to pop out of the walls at any minute. Her breathing was uneven as she tried to steady her rapidly beating heart. When her gaze finally settled on the green girl, she closed her eyes for a long moment, terrified to find the cold, unseeing amber orbs from her dream staring back at her. She opened them again and could never remember being so relieved in all her life to see Elphaba's warm sable staring back at her in alarmed concern.

"El- Elphie?" she choked out. Tears continued to stream from her haunted sapphire irises, as she looked to the sorceress for some sort of reassurance that she was no longer a prisoner of her own mind.

"Right here, my sweet." She came 'round to tuck her legs under herself and sit on the bed next to the trembling blonde as she twined her arms protectively around her just in time for Galinda to collapse into them, her body racked with sobs of terror and relief.

"Oh, Elphie! It was horrible! I… I had the baby and- Oh, she was beautiful Elphie." Galinda smiled suddenly through her tears.

"She?" Elphaba asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling softly.

"Y-yes," Galinda rested one shaking hand on her stomach. "I think- I think it's going to be a girl."

"That sounds like a nice dream," the green girl said, holding her close despite the utter confusion lacing her tone. What was wrong with a beautiful baby?

"Oh, it was," Galinda told her. "But then-" Her voice hitched. "But then my parents came in and…" She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the earth-shattering words. "They- they called me a whore, Elphie," she whispered thickly. She felt her roommate stiffen at that, and she inched even closer as more tears trickled down her cheeks. "They said… they said I should've aborted it when I had the chance. They disowned me, Elphie!" She broke down completely than, a sobbing mess in the witch's arms as the green girl gently stroked her hair.

"They won't disown you, Glin," she said fiercely. "You're they're only daughter, they love you."

"You haven't met them," the blonde retorted miserably. "They'll hate me." She looked up solemnly. "Maybe I should just get rid of it now. Pretend this whole thing never happened, things will be better that way."

"Don't be rash, my sweet," Elphaba cautioned. "I set up an OBGYN appointment for tomorrow and-"

"You… you did?" Galinda cut her off, and Elphaba was relieved to see her expression washed with earnest thanks, rather than anger.

"I did," she affirmed. "I know we need to figure this out, but to do that, we'll need professional help."

Galinda sighed and chewed her lip nervously. "O- okay," she agreed. "Thanks, Elphie."

The green girl smiled and hugged the shaking blonde to her as she wiped her eyes once more. "Of course. Now, did anything else happen in your dream."

The blonde moaned miserably and shook her head in earnest. "Elphie, I really don't want to-"

"Keeping it inside won't help. Glin," she warned. "I told you, you can tell me _anything, okay?"_

"But…" then she stopped, seeming to reconsider. "Fine," she relented reluctantly. "After my parents left, Fiyero, he…"

Elphaba's eyes blazed at her friend's distraught whimper. "He what, my sweet? What did he do?" she prodded, fighting to keep her tone even.

"He… he took her," she confessed as her vision blurred again. "He took my baby, and then called me a liar and a whore."

"Oh, Glin…" Elphaba murmured, feeling tears rise in her own eyes.

"And then… and then you…"

"Me?" she asked, shocked and sickened that something to do with her had caused her friend such gut-wrenching sorrow.

Galinda nodded grimly. "You were doing this," she gestured to Elphaba's warm embrace, "comforting me. But…" She stopped, locking gazes with the witch again, just to be sure her eyes were still the warm color they should be before continuing. "Wh… When I asked what I was supposed to do, you…"

"I what, my sweet?" Elphaba swallowed audibly.

"You said you didn't love me anymore," she sobbed, clinging to the green girl.

"Oh, my sweet," the sorceress murmured. "I'm right here."

"You said I lied to you and…" she bit her lip and rasped out, "you basically said you never wanted to see me again."

"Galinda…" Elphaba was at a lost for words. It was no secret she cared about the blonde, but she never imagined the blonde would already care for her to the extent that it was her personal nightmare to have the green girl out of her life.

"Out of all the things that happened," she said seriously, "that was the worst."

The witch's chest constricted."R- really?"

Galinda nodded solemnly. "Really. You're my rock, Elphie. The one person who doesn't expect me to be anything but myself. If I lost you…" She shook her head. "I don't know what I'd do," she answered honestly.

The green girl sucked in her breath and tried to speak around the giant lump that had formed in her throat. "I'm not going anywhere," she managed, feeling a few tears trace their way down her own cheeks.

"You… you promise?" Galinda asked shakily.

"Elphaba clasped her clammy hands in her own and lightly brushed their lips together. "I promise."

The blonde smiled a watery smile. "Good."

"You think you can get back to sleep now?" the green girl asked tenderly.

Galinda looked down and chewed her lip anxiously. "I- I don't know, Elphie. Every time I close my eyes… I just see horrible things."

Elphaba sighed. Then she had an idea. When I had a nightmare," she began hesitantly, "my mom used to sing to me."

"She did?" Curiosity laced her friend's voice.

Elphaba nodded before asking shyly, "Would you like me to… to try it?"

Galinda beamed. "I'd love that."

Elphaba smiled. Once she helped Galinda settle beneath the covers and made sure she was comfortable, she gently ran her fingers through the blonde's golden locks and began singing softly. "When the fear takes you down, when the doubt takes you under, when you sink like a stone, and you can't breathe; when the tears take control, when the demons take over, you won't be in this alone. You got me."

By the time she finished the first verse; Galinda was sleeping peacefully. Elphaba smiled down at her petite frame, and slowly inched away from the bed. Just as she moved to get up though, Galinda reached out and clasped her hand. "Stay?" she muttered sleepily.

The green girl was taken aback for a minute, but slowly her lips morphed into a soft smile. "Of course." So she crawled under the covers, wrapping her arms gently around the blonde's waist, and nestling her head into the pillow. Galinda moaned happily as the witch flicked off the lamp, and together they drifted off into a blissfully dreamless sleep.


End file.
